Courtly Love
by Serenity T. Gapurn
Summary: He was a prince. She was the new girl in town, the witch. Two unlikely people meet up, become friends, find friends, find enemies, and discover secrets that are best kept secret. Read and review. Part II now up!
1. Prologue

Somewhere, in a land far away from here, there is a place called Whaye. Whaye is a land of very magical proportions. The lands are very different from any place you have ever heard from any fairy tale you've heard from your guardian as you fell asleep. First, there is Northern Whaye, in the shape of a camel. Everything there is futuristic. Imagine the place you are in right now, two or three thousand years in the future. Ever heard of robots and technology out of this world? If so, you can make a vague idea of what this land is like.

Then there is Southwestern Whaye, in the shape of a walrus. That is the modern land, everything that we have now, only with some alternative lifestyles. Of course, there are many normal people like you and I -praying you and I are normal people- but there are many many other kinds of people. Shapeshifters, werewolves, fairies, super-strongs, vampires, psychics, just to name a few. They all try to fit into normal society, but it seems that Southwestern Whaye is divided half to normals and half to magics. Most normal humans hate anyone who is able to perform these abilities, so they are more of a disability than an aid. A contemporary land with somewhat contemporary problems.

Lastly, there is Southeastern Whaye, in the shape of a toucan, the medieval land. The place where women are still treated as less, where school is costly and ends at thirteen, girls and boys are married at puberty and life is nothing like it is today. Kings and queens rule over the realms and in Southeastern Whaye there are six: Trenova, Eloria, Geriu, Poiu, Isoptha and Almeria. And now you probably have a few questions.

The first is probably, how do they keep the balance? How do people from Northern Whaye not bring futuristic things to any other place? First, they would disappear the moment they got into the other place. Second, it is political treason and if you did bring something modern to medieval or futuristic to modern times you would be sentenced to death. A harsh punishment, but it is required to keep the balance.

The second is, can people move from Northern Whaye to Southwestern or and other combination? The answer is yes, they can. As long as they do not speak a word about the other land to anyone of their new home, all balance can be kept. Now we are going to talk about the first of the main characters, a girl who has lived in two of the time areas, and soon to be three.

Her name is Teal Mynery. She is nearly fourteen and has waist length crimson red hair and fern green eyes. She about two meters tall with pencil arms, fairly broad hips, not a lot of muscle, a little less than normal sized waist, and pale skin. Teal was adequately pretty, normal facial features and such, but had only dated one boy in her life. She had always been moved around a lot because her father was a soldier in a war outside of Whaye, but her mother never wanted them to leave any part of Whaye. When she was seven Teal moved away from Northern Whaye to Southeastern Whaye. Teal couldn't remember much about how much it hurt to leave her home, but whether it was easy or hard she didn't want it again. But the next day she was moving to Southwestern Whaye. Even though Teal had tried asking her mother what seemed like a million times, they were still moving.

Her five sisters tried to console her often as they could. There were Alicia and Elissa, the twins who were a year younger than her, Isulette, two years younger than her, and Rayna, three years younger than her. They did not want to leave their new home either. Most of their memories were there. Teal's boyfriend was there, her first crush, her cousins and uncles and aunts, anything she ever held dear. Not to mention every one of her possessions were being left behind, they were modern and her new home was medieval. Only wearing dresses, being treated like nothing, if they were even treated like anything to anyone that is, and they would be pressured to follow any rule of the new times. Not to mention, another place to keep her secret.

Teal and her sisters were very very different from anyone else in all of Whaye. They were witches. Powered by the moonlight, they could perform spells with words spoken in Latin. Just "plain" witches, their mother had never told them differently. But she seemed odd about it. She never spoke about it, never brought it up, never gave them any details as to what kind of witches, and told them never ever to tell anyone. Especially now that they were moving to the medieval times, they would be burned at the stake for fixing a broken glass by muttering a few words. She hated everything about the medieval times, all of it. And even though he lives there, sometimes the other main character did too.

His name is Remert Ffoi, well, to commoners it was anyway. To anyone that knew his secret, he was Crown Prince Remert Ffoi, heir to the throne of Trenova. Very few people even knew that he was prince of Trenova. His mother, Queen Marcy, kept her son and daughter's royalty a secret. He had a very complex and confusing life. Remert had known since the moment he realized he was crown prince he would be king someday. Every time he met with the rulers of the other realms he knew someday he would be one of them in a few years. He never wanted to be a king and he had his reasons. One of those reasons involved his father.

King Caleb Ffoi was the most horrible person ever. He had always been horrible to his wife, beating her and saying crude and terrifying things. The only reason he didn't kill Marcy was because he knew that if he dared, Remert would kill him also. A few times he had hurt Remert's sister, Devon, and tried to hurt Remert. The worst part was knowing that his mother was being cruelly destroyed by that waste of a man, and knowing that if he even said anything about it he would hurt her more. Marcy only stayed with him because she knew that if she left him, he would destroy the government and equilibrium she had set out for the land. Often she wished she would have stayed the crown princess of Geriu and not have been bethroed to him. She wished that he wouldn't have became such a terrible person.

She had two children with him, unknowingly at the time that he only wanted bloodthirsty children like him. After three miscarriages, she had Remert at fifteen. Around the same time that Remert was conceived, Caleb was cheating on her with a prostitute named Allyeson. A month after his first son was born, Thalleus was born, the child of his mistress and himself. Allyson kept Thalleus for a year and kept him secret from Caleb. Then Marcy decided she wanted another baby, and Caleb agreed to it, only hoping to have another heir. A girl was born, Devon. When Remert was a year old and Devon was a few days old, Allyson came to the door of the castle and gave Thalleus to Caleb. Marcy was furious. But nowhere near as furious as Caleb when he realized Remert and Devon's personality.

Remert had just turned five when he noticed that he was nice. Thalleus, being just like his father, pushed Devon down one day. Her kind brother went over to Thalleus, told him to stop being mean, lectured him on manners, and helped Devon up. Caleb was horrified. Not just because Remert was nice, but because he was nice and a month older than Thalleus. He would be king. Not his son that was like him.

And that was only one of the reasons why Remert didn't want to be king, because he did not want to be like his father. The main reason was he hated being an outcast. He hated being different, not being able to wake up in the morning to normal parents and a normal life. He woke up to the king and queen as his parents, and they lived in a castle while he lived in a tiny house he moved to a few months ago. But that castle would be his someday, as would Trenova. He hated his life, if it hadn't been for his friends he would have ran away years ago.

What do these two teenagers have in common though? You're going to find out. Welcome to Southeastern Whaye, the land of courtly love.


	2. Learning To Let Go

"Please Mom!" Teal begged her mother, standing in the center of her living room, a few tears slipping from her eyes. "I h-have _friends _here, I finally got a_ b-boyfriend_ who c-cares about me, we'll be l-leaving behind _everything_. I can't even bring anything to remember them by!"

Her mother sat on the beige couch, shaking her head in disappointment. It was nearly twilight outside, and golden light was pouring out of the two windows. Why did she have to be so negative about Teal expressing her opinion of moving? It was stupid in her opinion. Her father was being reassigned further east, big whoop. What did that affect that made her move to a medieval land? Wouldn't that make it more difficult for anyone to contact them? Nothing made sense.

"Teal Anne Mynery, act your age!" her mother, Teresa, scolded. "I know this is difficult for you to comprehend at the moment, moving when you've lived here and everything you remember is here, but with your father in a fickle job, we have to move often. You know I would never make you leave Whaye, I grew up here, your grandmother grew here, and it goes back generations and generations living here. Mind you, I grew up in all of the three time areas and I turned out just fine."

"How old were you when you moved then?"

"I was three the first time and seven the second time when we settled down in Northern Whaye."

"My point exactly! When you moved, you didn't have friends or anything roots that kept you there! I would bet you half my life that you don't even remember any other place but Northern Whaye in your childhood!"

"This has nothing to do with that, we're moving and you can't change that. Sorry Tellie, but no one can change that."

"No, really? I never would have expected to hear that! '_Sure dear, you're a magical witch and all, but you can't change the thing that's actually important. Light a fire with your spells, sure, but changing something that is going to make a difference is forbidden!_" The last two sentences were spoken in a high pitched mock tone, the kind she always to poke back at her mother.

"Are you fourteen or not? It's useless to try and change something that can't be changed."

"Fine! Why should I care?" Teal shouted. "Forget I even asked about it!" As she loudly spoke, a glass vase fell from on a shelf and shattered. Her mother snapped her fingers and the vase repaired and was back on the shelf.

"Honey," her mother attempted to coax, "it isn't something to overreact about. Think about it in a positive way, you can have a new start, new friends, and maybe even a new boyfriend."

"I don't want another boyfriend!" Now she was screaming so loudly they could probably hear her across the street. "I want to date Ben and no one else! Now leave me alone!" Teal stormed out of the house. Her sister, Alicia, was sitting on the porch reading a book. Realizing something was wrong, she stopped her by standing in front of her and grabbing her arms.

"Let me go Allie," she said calmly.

"I heard you and Mother. Sit down right now. We're talking about it." Alicia took Teal's arm and pulled her down to sit on the stone grey porch. They lived out in the country and the only other person around was Teal's boyfriend, Ben, who lived across the street from them. Their life was often quiet, with no one else around to talk to but family. No one really minded though, except Teal.

"Sis, I love you, and you know that," Alicia began. "And I also know how much you like Ben and your friends Friday and Kiara, but we all are making sacrifices here. I'll be leaving behind my friends also, as will our sisters. The only major difference is the way people talk and what we'll be wearing." She smiled warmly in the same way she always did. Alicia had coffee hair that fell in curls to her shoulders, a petite frame, and chocolate brown eyes.

Teal sighed. "I do know. I just don't want to leave. Think about it this way: school ended at thirteen for the wealthy people and boys. We'll never graduate. Girls marry the moment they start their...thing." She looked down at her chest then back up at her sister.

"So only Isulette and I will be married?" she sniggered.

"Not funny."

"Why don't you go say goodbye to Ben?" For some reason her attitude completely changed. "You're thinking too much about this. You need to calm down a bit Teal."

"You really think saying goodbye is going to make me _happier?" _before she could begin to bicker, she was in front of the door at Ben's house. Damn witch sister with her transport spells.

"Hello hun?" Ben's mother, a tall blond haired woman came to the door and opened it. Noticing it was Teal, she said, "Lemme get 'im..." Then she turned around and called, "_Ben! It's your beau at the door!" _brown haired boy Teal's height came to the door and the woman left.

"And how is my little Teal Bell today?" he asked. She loved every aspect of him, good and bad. His personality, his farmers tan, button nose, freckles, the ideal country gentleman. They went to school together and had begun dating him a year ago. He meant a lot to her, and she meant a lot to him.

"Horrible, actually."

"Where is the fool who made you sad?" Ben rolled his sleeves up. "I'll beat 'em up and then choke 'em until they're as blue as huckleberries!" He grinned at her. Oh, how she would have loved to kiss the lips of that gorgeous smile! Perhaps a peck on the cheek once or twice, but every time they had ever gotten close to kissing on the lips, Teal found an excuse. For some odd reason, it never seemed like the right time...

"It wasn't anyone, it was fate."

His eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. "Let's talk about this in the living room." They walked into the house together into the main room of Ben's house. Almost everything was decorated in a blue plaid design. There was a radio on the table playing a song that sounded like a sad country ballad.

"So, wha's wrong dear?"

"I...I have to move Ben."

"M-move? What?! Where?"

She nodded slowly. "To Southeastern Whaye. My dad got reassigned to somewhere further east, so we're moving again." Teal tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Without her bodies consent, tears spilled down her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"It'll never be your fault." Ben wrapped his arm around her while she nestled closer to his chest. She moved his arm back to his side. _Why did I do __that? She_ asked herself. She closed her eyes and tried to think about anything but him. It was just a natural effect of letting go. Teal was just loosening the strings before they had to be cut. It always saved pain in the end, but the threads still snapped hard.

"I'm sure you'll find a man better than me there," he continued soothingly. Why was everyone trying to get her to think about getting a new boyfriend? She paid attention to the song on the radio and heard Ben sing the lyrics softly in her ear. Each word seemed to increase the sadness of the moment, a song that seemed to be about a girl leaving a boy_. _He sang the rest of the song to her, and listening to the lyrics made her tears flow faster. When Ben finished the last note, Teal stood up and went to the door.

"I have to go," she said through tears. "I'm leaving tomorrow, but I just can't see you anymore. I love you Ben and I'll probably never feel the same away about a boy the way I felt about you."

"Wait! Don't- can't you stay a bit longer?"

"N-no, I can't." Teal went out of the house, closed the door, murmured the transport spell, and was back in her now barren room. She slumped to the floor and broke into heaving sobs. Ben, her friends, all of that, gone.

Now she had lost everything.

**There ya have it :). Next is Remert's story. More you review, the more I write. Any mistakes, requests, questions, just put it on the reviews or PM me. ~S. T. Gapurn**


	3. Putting Up With It

"You're worthless!" Remert heard his father yell. "Why did you do something so stupid?" He was visiting his parents and sister for an hour or so, and they were already fighting. Remert was sitting next to Devon, his sister, in her dark wood room. She hated hearing her parents fighting as much as Remert did. This time it was about a law Marcy passed without Caleb's knowledge that lowered taxes for peasants. Marcy loved helping everyone, not just nobles. Caleb was different.

Born as Calebenthian Ffoi, crown prince of Trenova, he had always craved power. His parents, King Coltheus and Queen Myrania were neutral, a balance in between of good and bad. Even though his parents were neutral, he had always been cruel. At eleven, he was attempting to find a queen who would bend under his will. At a ball one night, he met Maerciette "Marcy" Reid, crown princess of Geriu. She fell in love with him the first time she saw him. Both of their parents decided to have them bethroed, and they were coronated at twelve. Marcy still believed he was sweet and kind and she believed that until she was fifteen. Whenever she finally had Remert, he began hurting her. Nothing severe, but it only got worse as the years passed.

The most he would do is "pretend hit" her. After she found out about Thalleus, it evolved into something much worse. Bruises, blood, pain to her, and he didn't care. Although there was one thing he hated about her. Marcy was not as Caleb had guessed her, she was headstrong and bold. She did not care if he tried to stand in her way, she would go around him.

"I honestly don't care what you do to me Caleb," Marcy spat. They were in the room bordering Devon's, but they could have been heard from upstairs. "Go ahead, hit me again, leave another bruise, _I don't care._ Damn it, I'm going to do what's best for the country I rule over!"

"_You _rule over? _You? _I don't think so_, _you Geriu scum." They heard the resounding sound of him hitting her, and their mother falling against the wall and nearly hitting the floor. The unbearable fact was that neither of them even flinched.

"I'm going to kill the bastard right now!" Remert whispered sharply. He stood up, but Devon grabbed his hand.

"Please Rem, don't." He saw the begging look in her hazel eyes. They were fogged over with tears. "He'll only hurt her more if you do anything, please, don't." She was normally tetchy and irritable, but when her mother was in that situation her attitude made a 180 degree turn.

"Fine." He unclenched his fists. "But I'm not promising that I won't do anything after I see Mother though." Remert stormed out of the room and saw his mother with a bloody lip. Caleb must have left. Her son ran up and embraced her, trying to soothe her broken heart.

"What did he do?" he asked calmly. Knowing his father would never be, he had to be the man of the house though he was only fourteen. Even since he moved out and was living alone, he still helped Devon and Marcy whenever he could. He had offered Devon a place at his house before, but she turned down, worried that if she left there would be no one to say anything if Caleb...she didn't like thinking about what he would do.

"Rem, it's an adult matter-"

"I_ am_ an adult Mother."

Marcy sighed. "True that may be dear, but I hate including you in this kind of thing." She broke away from the embrace and held his hands in hers. "You know as well as I do that if it weren't for Devon and you-"

"-And the kingdom," Remert added.

"Yes, the kingdom too. If it weren't for my children and the kingdom, I would leave him. I would have left him the first time he ever laid a hand on me. Devvie, can you get in here please?" Devon stepped out of her room uneasily and into the hallway.

"Yes?" she asked nervously.

"I want you to listen to this too. I don't care if either one of you become king or queen and become the best person ever, this isn't okay." Marcy paused for a moment, trying to grasp exactly what she was saying next. "What you see going on in this house is not how normal couples act. It should never be how it is here. And I don't want you to think it is okay because I put up with it. If your spouse ever lays a hand of you, walk out the door the moment they do. Can you promise me that?"

They both nodded, unable to reply with words.

"Now, Remert, can I speak to you for a moment in private?"

"Um...sure," he replied. She took his hand and brought him to an empty room a few feet away. There were far too many rooms in the castle for only now four people, so many rooms were blank. His mother took a leather-bound journal out of her dress pocket.

"I know that I can barely write or read, and neither can anyone else in this family. If you're going to be king one day, it's a skill needed. When I was young I thought it was worthless and my parents didn't push me to learn how to read and write. Now I wish they had. Honestly, I don't care if you use it as a journal, to write poems, copy down things you like, which ever option you choose. Or if you need a place to let go of your feelings, then you can use it." She placed the journal in his hands. "I love you Rem. Now you ought to be getting home before it gets too dark." Marcy walked out. Remert walked to the front door and opened it to leave, but was interrupted. Thalleus, his crude half-brother, decided to make his move. It wasn't an unusual cirumstance when he would go and attempt to verbally attack Remert, but it never worked because he could always reply quick as a whip.

"Well, well, if it isn't crown princey Remy!" he exclaimed. Remert hated him. He was a copy of his father to a T. Blood, murder, they didn't care what was in the way, and they would do anything to have total power. The only difference was looks: thin blonde hair, skin looking like it was afraid of the sun, and the kind of glare in his eyes at all times that reminded Southwestern Whaye people of evil math teachers. He looked more like his mother, which was not a compliment.

"Leave me the hell alone," Remert replied bitterly. "I'm a month older than you, which makes me crown prince. If we wanted another Caleb for king, then we would find a sorceress and make him immortal. I don't even think you're a hundredth of the man you think you are. You and that ignorant father of yours think you're the best, doing the best for the kingdom, but you know damn well you only care about yourselves."

"Funny you say that isn't he your father too?"

Remert closed his eyes and counted to ten before speaking. "Just because he was with my mother doesn't make him my father. Loving your children, that's a father. That man wouldn't love me if someone held a sword to his heart. And just because he pretends to care about you doesn't make you his son. Call me crazy, but I think Allyeson could have raised you a lot better than he has."

"Don't speak a word about that whore! My father just felt sorry for her, as I'm sure a girl will feel sorry enough for you one day. Unless you'd finally like to admit your secret that you're a woman..."

"I am attracted to girls, and I'm not one myself. I hear the castrator is in town, why don't you do the human race a favor?" Remert walked out and slammed the door. When he finally got home, he threw the journal on a small table. There wasn't any point in trying to learn how to write. It wouldn't make any difference in the future. As much as he loved his mother, he didn't care what she said anymore. With nothing to do, he sat there thinking for a few hours. Just thinking.

**

_Knock knock. _

I'll get it later, it's late, he thought.

_Knock knock._

Getting annoying...

_KNOCK KNOCK. _

Remert got up and answered the door, throwing it back so that it hit the wall and a table fell over. It was his closest friend, Sebastian.

"The house better be ablaze."

"Actually, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm just here to remind you. No fire."

"Remind me of what?" he asked. Sebastian went into the tiny living room and sat down in one of the two chairs while Remert picked up the table.

"Surely you remember what tomorrow is?" Sebastian asked hopefully.

He racked his brain. "No, I don't Seb."

"You twit! Tomorrow's the day everyone from Northern Whaye and Southwestern Whaye can move! That means more girls over here! And you'll be surprised to know that about a hundred people move away from here and one hundred move over here. About half is adults, ten are elderly, twenty five are children and fifteen are teenagers. Out of those, about six teenagers move to Trenova. Half of those are girls, so..."

"So, three girls our age are going to move here?"

Sebastian paused. "Well, don't blame me for being mathematically challenged," he muttered. Then he said, "But that's three more girls than we had. Maybe one of those girls will be ours!"

"Ours? What happened to Beatrice?"

"She was just a friend with some benefits. She wouldn't even kiss me. She _squealed _every time I even leaned in to kiss her. Honestly, if a girl doesn't want to kiss me, then she just has to say so.Then again, what girl wouldn't want a chance to be with the winner of most handsome person in Trenova fourteen years running?" They both laughed.

"Nice. Well, I guess I should get some sleep for the big day."

"You should. I'll come and get you when I arrange the game." Remert nearly sighed. The "games" were an invention of Sebastian. He had never been to one of the games before, but it usually involved him and a friend getting the new girls to do something bad. How the poor girls fell for it he never knew. Sebastian bade his goodbyes and Remert went to lie on his small bed. Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps he would finally find the perfect girl for him.

Perhaps.

**Special thanks to Tora Dust Mi Taram, GeminiAngel236 and two decembers for reviewing. ****So, didja like? Next is Teal leaving. Then they meet up! Reviews make me write faster. That and coffee. So if you and coffee are nice to me, my chapters will be up as soon as possible! **


	4. There And Never Back Again

Teal stared out of the window of the train. Once a year the Tre Terre Train would take people to their new homes, in whichever part of Whaye chosen. This was the train that went from Southwestern Whaye to the border of Southeastern Whaye. She felt enclosed in a small train with about a hundred people in it. Even more, there were government officials patrolling the walkways to be sure that no one dared to alter the balance of the time zones. Like anyone would try. The only things anyone on the train had of Southwestern Whaye were memories, which they weren't supposed to speak of. How was that fair?

The stupid "time police" made sure everything was in check. They could see _anything. _Even if she was in Trenova and brought up a modern topic she would be prosecuted. What was it with them? She knew that a homeostasis had to be kept, but it made her angry that it would be like she hadn't even lived for the past fourteen years. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She sat alone in the booth. Her mother and her sisters were a few rows back. Teal noticed a girl her age sitting by herself in the booth next to her. The girl had a daydreaming expression on her face and she was looking out of the window. Deciding to be nice, she went and sat by her.

"Hey," Teal said, trying to start a conversation.

"Hmm?" The girl jerked out of her musing. "Oh, hi."

"So, what's your name?"

"Melissa. You?"

"Um..." Nearly everyone who had asked her name in the past had always laughed at her when she said her name was Teal. It was always the same reply: "_Isn't that a colour?" _Best to try and see if she noticed... "Teal."

"Wow, cool name!" Melissa exclaimed. "Mine's just boring. My parents have nice names, Madalena and Cortez. I have boring Melissa."

"Melissa isn't boring! Every name has its own flair. I like your parent's names too. Where are they?"

She pointed behind her. Teal turned around to see three booths back her parents, a dark skinned couple. It seemed odd, as Melissa had pale-tannish skin. Her mother had long curly black hair like her and a sharp look like daggers out of her ice blue eyes. "Crazy how genetics work, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Where are your parents?" Teal pointed back and diagonally a few rows and Melissa found her family.

"The ones with curly brown hair are Alicia and Elissa, they're the twins. Then the one with blonde hair and the really odd pointy nose is Isulette. And the youngest one who looks like she's depressed with raven-black hair is Rayna. The other is my mom."

"Awesome. So, where are you moving?" she asked. At least she was kind enough not to ask why her father wasn't there.

"Trenova."

"That's where I'm moving! So, why did your parents choose there?"

"I-my mother...I'd rather not talk about it. How about you?"

"Oh," she said bluntly. "It's a long story."

"We still have an hour. I've got time."

"Fine. Well, I'm a shapeshifter. Both of my parents are full-blood, as you noticed by the blue eyes." Teal gave her a confused look. "Okay, I'll have to explain this pretty thoroughly. If you've noticed, I have ocean blue eyes. My parents have blue eyes. Every shapeshifter you'll ever catch on the street will have blue eyes. Now, not every blue-eyed person is a shifter though. Another thing, the more we shapeshift the bluer our blood turns. So if I cut myself and bled right now, you'd see cerulean blood. It turns from scarlet when you first shapeshift, to lavender, to cerulean in about two years."

"About that, you bleed blue? Everywhere?"

Melissa grimaced. "You're such a pervert."

"It's an honest question."

"Yes. Anyway, we can only shapeshift if we have these necklaces on." She pulled a necklace out from under the top of her dress. It had a bright red pendant in the shape of a teardrop. "That's made out of Sabeos, a mineral that is ninety nine point nine nine, blah blah blah, percent unbreakable. We require that to shapeshift."

"And if you don't?"

"That's the thing." She sighed. "If you don't shapeshift, you get a disease called Salforum. It kills you in three months, and there's no cure. So naturally about every parent who has a kid shapeshifter overreacts and tells them to shapeshift everyday."

"But isn't shapeshifting in Southeastern Whaye illegal?"

"Yeah, so you can only do it so often, and no one can know. My parents have pushed me to my limits. '_Shapeshift Melissa, shapeshift, shapeshift, shapeshift!" _It continues every day. I really just want to be a normal teenager, with normal problems and a normal life. So I ran away for two weeks."

"You ran away?" Teal asked incredulously.

"Yup. I lived on the outskirts of town for a while. I lived with a teenage girl named Leanne and we tried to live off of the land. My weight dropped really badly and I got sick the first week. That was when I nearly went home, but I got over it. I finally came home when they agreed my parents and I would move here so I would shapeshift less often. That must've been what broke them, either that or the book I put on their nightstand. It was filled with statistics about how often shapeshifters hate their parents and even commit suicide because it drives them crazy. It's not good."

"Wow," Teal murmured. She wanted someone to share her secret with, but she couldn't tell anyone that she was a witch. Ignoring her thoughts, the two girls chattered endlessly until the train arrived. Where Southeastern Whaye began, and so did Teal's story.

**

The family had been riding in a carriage for three hours now. Alicia and Elissa had been hitting their heads on the walls of the carriage when their mother wasn't looking. This was how it would be from now on, not much to do. Not very many books either, very few people could read or write. Their mother had taught them how to read and write in all of the time zone ways, so they could still understand everything here. Finally, they stopped at their house out in the country. At least they were alone.

Everyone went on into the house, and it was only blank for three seconds. Their mother, a much more skilled witch, furnished the house as easy as someone would tie their shoes, unless said person has one hand or is under the age of eight. Teresa put two small beds in one room and three in another. It was the same way in their old house: every once in a while, the sisters changed rooms when they squabbled too often. No one stayed in the same room for long. Teal looked in wonder at how different the furniture was from the kind she had in her old house. This was much darker, more apathetic.

"Hey Mom, can I go for a walk?" Teal asked, yearning to see more of this new world.

"Can you say that the proper way, doll?"

She groaned. "May I go for a walk Mother?"

"Go on, just be back by sundown. Do you want to share a room with Alicia and Elissa?"

"That sounds nice." She walked out before her mother could say anything else. Teal walked around the empty land near her house for a while, then went onto a small road. She came across a lane with some houses on it. In front of one of the houses, a teenage boy looked at her and walked over to her.

"Hello there, are you new to Trenova?" he asked.

"Um...yes, I am actually," she replied, shocked he knew. "Name's Teal, nice to meet you. But how do you know this?" _Probably a freakish rapist, lovely of me to say I know nothing about where I just moved, _Teal thought.

"I can only tell because girls your age usually don't look up from the ground. And most have a wedding ring on. Moved today, didn't you?"

"Yes, that too." What was this guy, a stalker? The "don't talk to strangers" speech may have came in handy at that moment, but she wanted to know what he was doing.

"Okay, well, I have a few friends around and I'm sure we could introduce you to this lovely country here. If you'll come back here tomorrow, say about noon, I'll show you around with some people. How does that sound?"

"Sir, I don't think I'll be doing that..."

"If it helps, there's going to be some girl named M...something beginning with that." _For the love of anything decent, if it's Melissa I'm going to do a backflip. She seemed like a nice girl, why would she agree to something like this? Wait, why am _I _agreeing to this?_  
"Only if someone else is there....I suppose I'll be there. One last thing, what's your name?"

He grinned. "Sebastian. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Good evening."

Teal turned around and went back home, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

**Whoohoo! Now that I'm done setting the stage, the play can begin! The next chapter is a very mischievous game between everyone. Melissa's shapeshifter thing needed to be explained, and I also think she's a pretty awesome character. I would so huggles her. Remember, reviews are like chocolate and those really hot chips. One can never have too many. I see how many people look at this, and I accept anonymous reviews, so let's hear those reviews go people!**


	5. Eon Kisses

"So, remind me again how many girls are doing this?" Remert asked, stepping over some thorns. Sebastian had came and got him ten minutes ago and they were nearly to his home. They walked across a field with thick grass and small bushes with barbs. The new girls were already at his house, waiting to be victimized. _The girls probably think nothing's going to happen, that Sebastian might be a nice guy and fall in love with him, _Remert thought. _But none of the girls know his notorious reputation for breaking their hearts after he gets his end of the bargain. A good friend, but I guess not to women._

"Two, close to what I guessed. Mel...e...a and some girl with a colour for a name."

"Malena and Amber?" A colour? Who would have a colour for a name? "I'm just throwing out ideas here. Madeline and Scarlet?"

"No, that's not it." Sebastian stepped around a shrub. His house was in view, and two girls were standing and waiting in the grass. There was a tall redhead wearing a tree trunk brown dress and a curly black-haired one with oceanic blue eyes and a red dress. It was normal peasant garb, as Remert chose to wear even though he was a prince, but they both looked beautiful no matter what. The redhead was a bit more attractive though. Was it her faint smile? Her gorgeous bright green stars for eyes? Her lips, a pale pink, and the way they were screaming to be kissed? _I have got to start closing my ears when the minstrels go through town, _he mentally noted. They finally reached the house and the girls greeted themselves.

"Hello...I'm Teal," the prettier one said. She looked down as she spoke, nervous.

"And I'm Melissa," the other girl stated. This girl was looking at Sebastian in a funny way, a kind of endearment in her eyes. She blushed while they both looked at each other. Why was he doing that? Was she going to be another of those girls? Maybe he could change for this girl.

"You already know me, and this is my friend Remert. We're going to play a game that you've probably never heard of."

"Because you made it up?" Remert asked. The girls laughed. That only made Teal seem more gorgeous. Was she _trying_ to seduce him?

"No, even you know this game Rem. You've never played it, but I know you know what it is. Have you ladies heard of Eon?" Sebastian questioned with a sly smile. Oh no, not _that _game. Both girls shook their heads with confused looks. Well, hopefully they had kissed a boy before, or else this was an awkward way to have a first kiss. _You haven't kissed anyone yourself, idiot, _he reminded himself.

"Okay, the first matter of business is to tell us your birthdays."

"June twenty third," Teal said.

"You just turned fifteen then?"

"No, I just turned fourteen." While she spoke, Remert couldn't take his eyes off of her. Was that talk with his mother true? She had said that when he found the one he would be with, he'd know from the moment he saw her, there'd be no hesitation. Maybe she was right.

"April twenty third," Melissa said.

"Ooh, that's nice." Once again, the confused looks.

"Well, depending on when your birthday is, we have different ways of kissing. For instance, Melissa here is born during April, which means open mouthed kissing with one of us. Which one of us do you choose?"

When Sebastian wasn't looking, he constantly mouthed to her, "He thinks you're pretty. Just do it." She smiled at him and said Sebastian's name. He leaned in and kissed her, opening his mouth. Melissa closed her eyes and did the same. She actually _liked _kissing him! And by the looks of it, he did too. Perhaps he would leave his flirt past behind to be with this girl. When they broke apart, Melissa was blushing again, as red as a radish.

"Next is you Teal. You get off easy; June is just kissing on the lips. There you go Rem, go crazy."

"Do I have to kiss him?" Wait, why didn't she want to kiss him? He wanted to kiss her!

"No, but I think you'd rather."

"What's the other option then?"

Sebastian laughed. "Taking off all of your clothes for him." She gaped at him. Teal obviously did not want to do this anymore. Remert felt sorry for the girl. She probably hadn't even liked a boy before.

"Teal, can I talk to you for a moment in private?" They both went a few meters away and automatically Teal began talking.

"If you think for a moment that I'm some nervous little girl, I'm not. I've never even kissed a boy before. If you actually think that I'm going to take off my clothes for you then you're mentally unstable. If you want me to kiss you, then go ahead. But don't even consider that I'll count it as my first kiss. Go and brag to your friends, but this makes no difference in my life."

"That's not the way I feel about you." He moved his right hand to hers and held it. She pulled her hand back and glared at him.

"Keep your paws off of me."

"I'm just trying to make this easier for you. I haven't kissed a girl myself to be honest. I have no idea what to do, or how kissing even works."

"Well, you use your lips obviously."

"That is not what I meant. You seem like a really nice girl, and you're really pretty too. Maybe if we do this, one tiny kiss, we could make it into something more."

"Who said I wanted anything more?" She gritted her teeth.

"Listen to me. I wouldn't even dare to ask you to do something so personal without your permission. As for the clothes thing, I wouldn't ask that of you if my life depended on it. You don't have to count this as your first kiss, and I'm not going to brag about this. I like you, I've just got a feeling like...I can't explain it. So, can we go back over there and get done with this.

Teal smiled. Perhaps she actually would do this. "You really feel like that?"

Remert shrugged. "Only if you will with me."

"Fine. Let's go back over there. Maybe it will be my first kiss, maybe." They walked back over to Sebastian and Melissa, and they both shared their first kiss.

**

They both tried to make the kiss an enjoyable experience, but they couldn't. They both had closed their eyes before they met lips, and kept trying to center their lips to no avail. Teal had counted four nose bumps already. When they broke apart, Teal understood now why Melissa was blushing so hard.

Sebastian and Melissa were both sniggering. Stupid kissing veterans. Great. That only made her blush more than she thought was possible.

"Can I go home now?" she asked.

"Sure. I just wanted to 'introduce' you to Trenova," Sebastian said, a smirk still on his face.

"Yeah, excellent job." Teal turned to Remert. "I guess you'll be leaving too. Can I walk home with you?" Wow, where did _that _come from?

"No." His reply was swift and sharp. Jeez, did he have a deathly secret? "B-but I'll walk you home."

What if he saw her sisters doing magic though? Ah, well, life was boring without chances. "Sure. Ready to go?" He nodded and they began walking back to her house. She made the move and held his hand this time.

"So do you normally act like this?" he asked.

"Act like what?"

"First you act nervous, then next thing I know you're a wanton. You are really on the edge."

"No, I don't. Today was a nervous day. It's my first day in Trenova and I'm kissing a stranger. I'm a bit of a xenophobe."

"What's that?"

"Oh, sorry. Someone who is afraid of strangers. I've lived a pretty sheltered life. My mother is kind of weird about things like that." Teal paused when she realized she was walking in an open field with him. It was only about five minutes until she would be at her house. It was time to start asking the meaningful questions. "So what's your family like?"

That really caught him off-guard. "Oh, my family, yes. There's my mother and my sister. That's it."

"You don't want to say anything about them?"

"No. They're...different."

"Good different or bad different?"

"Depends on who you're asking."

"I'm asking you."

"Both."

"Fine, be vague. I have my mother, my father, and my four sisters."

"What are they like?"

"I'm not going to say. If you're going to be elusive, I will too." And perhaps that was for the best. Any person here would murder her on the spot if they knew she was a witch. Not a fake one either. A bona fide witch would scare them past anything.

"Is this your house?" Remert inquired. How had her feet taken her that far yet? Time must have gone faster. Either that or her feet.

"Yes. Thanks for walking me home."

He kissed her on the cheek. "Bye Teal. And if you want to know my secret so much, I'll tell you."

"You will?" He would? She'd only known him for thirty minutes and yet he was being this open? Well, honesty was key in a relationship.

"Indeed. But only if you tell me a secret about yourself. And it has to be the biggest one."

"I don't think it will be a fair trade."

"So you think. My secret is the biggest one in all of Trenova, literally. I cannot believe I'm even considering telling you. Sebastian doesn't know, none of my friend know, very few people in this realm know, and my family does know."

"Intriguing. It's a deal then. Tomorrow you come over here a few hours past noon and if you tell me I'll tell you. You have to give me one hint right now and I'll give you one."

"Rule. That's my hint."

"Burn. That's my hint."

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow then." He walked away. Her heart was beating fast, only praying his secret would make up for hers.

**Sorry about the late publishing, I have a bad cold :( I've been sleeping a lot. But yaaaay! Remert's gonna spill the beans about his royalty and Teal's going to show off her magic! Next chapter is going to show just what all a witch can do. Sebastian might have actually found a love! This was a total "AWWWWW!" factor chapter. Just remember, review review review. I know you're reading! Reviews are like hugs from total strangers. Sometimes you don't know what they mean, but they always make you feel warm and fuzzy. So, in conclusion, review and I shall be happy! And I will give cake to reviewers!**

**P.S. I've never been hugged by a stranger, just so you know.**

**P.S.S. Special thanks to GeminiAngel236 who never fails to review :)**


	6. To Rule and To Burn

_Nothing about you is typical_

_Nothing about you is predictable_

_You've got me all twisted and confused_

_-Unusual You, Britney Spears_

Teal walked back into her house and saw her mother sitting in the kitchen with a woman who she'd never seen before. The xenophobia kicked in and she shakily, "Who's she?"

"Teal, nice to have you back," Teresa greeted. "This is a friend of mine, Floria. She's lived here since she was born. Also, she worked as a scribe for Queen Marcy a few years back."

"A few years?" she asked in her high-pitched voice. "No, it has been about fourteen. The moment she had the prince every one of her helpers left. Marcy wanted to keep the identities of her children secret, and she's done an excellent job of it. I have yet to find a man, woman or child that has a clue about them." Teal sat down in a chair next to her mother. She always listened to her mother's conversations, not to her mother's joy. But it seemed like it was okay, Teresa didn't request that Teal go to her room.

"Well, how did she keep it secret then?"

"It is simple to keep the identity of a prince or princess secret. They do not have to be involved in anything. King and queen, on the other hand, must do a lot of public things. As long as the prince or princess does not go out and flaunt their last name or something like that, as secret as a secret gets."

"Do you know anything about the prince?"

"The last time I saw him he was twelve. The most I remember is he never talks about his father or half-brother, is very secretive, and won't think about being royal. Poor thing, hates it. He doesn't want to be king because he doesn't want to do anything that his father has. His father, Calebenthian, beats Marcy. Horrible things he does to her, hated her since he laid eyes on her."

"Oh, my family, yes. There's my mother and my sister. That's it." Why was Remert's conversation floating back in her mind? He wasn't a prince! And Floria said nothing about the prince having a sister either.

But he didn't say anything about his father. Not to mention how secretive he was being. _No Teal, you're just doing everything to make the gaps fit. You're obsessed with this guy, _she thought.

"And his sister, Devonia, she's the exact same way he is."

_Okay, _that's _weird._

"You can tell me the name of the princess, but not of the crown prince?" her mother questioned.

"It should not matter; you would not know him anyway. And I can nearly guarantee you that he would prefer anyone not to know."

"But you just said I would not know him. It won't make any difference. Can I at least have the first letter?"

Floria sighed. "Fine, it starts with a R. You are luck I am a scribe or I would not know that."

_R. Ruhmurt. No, it's probably not spelled like that. Remurt? No, Remert? Maybe. Am I just shoving puzzle pieces where they don't belong? Chances are. _

"_My secret is the biggest one in all of Trenova, literally. I cannot believe I'm even considering telling you. Sebastian doesn't know, none of my friend know, very few people in this realm know, and my family does know."_

_Being a prince would be a pretty big secret. Sebastian wouldn't know. None of his friends would know. Very few people, Floria would be one of those few. His family would know._

"_No. They're...different."_

_Different. Royal was different. _

"_Rule. That's my hint."_

Rule.

Prince.

Rule.

Secret.

Rule.

Different.

_Oh._ _My. Gosh._

"T-the prince," Teal managed to stutter out.

"Yes? What about him?" Floria asked.

"Is his name...Remert?" The woman gasped and before she said anything, Teal ran out of the kitchen to her room. Alicia and Elissa were in there gossiping, and gave her an odd look when they saw their sister breathing so heavily.

"Sis? What's wrong?" Elissa asked.

"Allie, Ellie, I think I'm in love with a prince.

**

"Um...fire-eater? Have I said that yet?"

"Yeah. Anyway, this is her first day here, she probably doesn't even know what that is."

Remert invited his sister over so she could try to help him with understanding the girl he had just met. Devon was thirteen and a girl, so she should have understood her own gender. Better than Remert could understand girls anyway.

"Here's one for you," she said, leaning her chair towards the wall. "If her hint was burn, then maybe she feels like that's what she's doing. Maybe she has sinned really bad and feels like she is going to burn in hell."

"Somewhat logical." Remert sighed. "We're getting nowhere. It's getting dark out, and you're going to need to leave soon. Is there anything we have forgotten?"

"She could either be a fire-eater, burn down houses, be sinning, or something far too obscure for us to figure out. Perhaps Teal is bluffing. Her hint could be for a small secret, like setting something on fire by accident when she was three."

"I don't know, but I'll never understand women if I live to be two hundred years old. And to think we could both be married right now."

"That's nightmare inducing."

"Well, you best be going. Mother will be worried of you. Be sure to tell her that I'll be bringing Teal over a few hours past noon."

"As sure as I'm surly. Bye Rem!" She walked out his room and left his house. Wow, he was already going to tell Teal he was a prince? But they had only known each other for a day! For some reason, some force was bending him under his will.

Oh, how it felt to be under love's command.

**

_But nothing will ever be the same again_

_This night has changed everything_

_Nothing Will Ever Be The Same, Graham Kendrick_

"Can I have one more hint?" Remert begged.

"I don't get a hint from you! Anyway, aren't we almost to where ever we're going?" Teal quizzed. Remert had came and got her at around six in the afternoon and now they were walking to the castle. Not that Teal knew that, but she knew that he was a prince, but he didn't know that. Teal just thought he was taking her somewhere to reveal his secret, but did not know that Remert was going to show her the castle. They both walked through the main street in Trenova and Teal nearly got the both of them in extreme trouble.

"Keep your eyes down!" he whispered sharply to her. Her eyes immediately darted down.

"What's your problem?" she whispered back.

"It's not my problem, it's every person, village, and kingdom's problem. They aren't too high up on women here. You're lucky no one saw you gawking about like an owl or you could've been hung." His words sent a shiver down her spine. Though they were harsh, they were true. She followed Remert with her peripheral vision until they finally appeared in front of the castle.

"So, what's the big deal about a castle?" Teal asked, trying not to show the excitement in her face or voice. "It's just a castle. It probably belongs to a noble or knight."

"You really think that?"

"Is there something else I should think?"

"There is. Come on, let's go inside." He grabbed her hand and they walked in together. The castle was extravagant inside. It was lavishly decorated with many different colours. There were two females standing in the room, a tall woman who had the same shade of mahogany hair as Remert did, and a young teenager who looked like the other woman.

"Teal, I'd like to introduce you to-" He swallowed nervously. "-Queen Marcy. My mother." She gasped for effect. She'd take the secret of her already knowing to her grave.

"Bother to introduce me?" the teenager asked impatiently. "Dear me, you can be such a-"

"And my sister, Princess Devonia. Though everyone calls her Devon, mostly because she would claw your ears off if you called her by her full name."

"He is right," Marcy said and laughed. "It's very nice to meet you. He's told me a lot about you. Teal, correct?" She nodded.

"Ah, a pretty name for a pretty girl. I'm lucky that my son could meet a woman as lovely as you."

"I'm not exactly a woman yet. I'm only fourteen."

"_Only_ fourteen and not yet a woman? What do they teach you in those time zones? You're a fully grown woman, you're capable of marriage, capable of child-" Marcy stopped when she saw Teal blushing. "Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Less pain every month, less linen used. Anyway, it's nice to meet you."

"Remert?" Teal turned to face him. "You've told me what everyone here is, but what does that make you?"

He frowned. "Crown prince," he said without hesitation. "Crown Prince Remert. That's me."

"That doesn't bother me," she replied honestly. "I liked you before you were a prince, and I'll like you after. Nothing changes."

"It doesn't?" Devon asked incredulously. Everyone in the room directed their looks to her. "I mean, um, of course it doesn't."

"There you go Teal. Now for your secret. It better be somewhat major after what I just gave away. I've extrapolated for hours over your hint." Teal looked outside through the crack of the open door. The stars were out. Now she could fully show her abilities.

"Ready?" Remert called into the darkness.

"Yes. You can open your eyes now," Teal said, nearly a whisper. She had used her magic to change into a red taffeta dress with red tie up slippers. Her hair was pulled up into a gorgeous bun, perfect for the show.

"I...wow." That was all he could muster to get out after he saw her in the moonlight.

"I'm going to begin. Don't say a word unless I say to, or I'm going to stop." She muttered, _Incendia _and there was a ring of fire around her.

"My secret is...I'm a witch. My hint was burn, because I feel like that's what's going to happen to me here." She now said Vigeo and the fire made the shape of a flower.

"Every spell we use is in Latin. We gather power from the moonlight." She saw how hard he was trying to keep quiet. Now it was the difficult things.

"There are only six witches, my sisters, my mother and I. But my sisters and I are still controlling our powers. Sometimes we lose control. _Versus!" _The fire danced into a line, keeping the two of them unable to get to one another.

"I want you to know right now the risk you are making in loving me. I can be very very dangerous Remert. If I ever get mad at you, I can hurt you. If you ever did something horrible, I could even kill you. Do you understand?" He was silent.

She made the fire advance more towards him. "I asked you, do you understand?"

Still no answer. The fire was so close, he felt the heat coming off of it. "Remert, ANSWER ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? INTERFI-" Teal stopped herself and the fire. She fell to her knees and burst into tears. One more moment and she would have killed him. He raced towards her and hugged her tightly.

"I understand. I know what I'm doing. I loved you before I knew and I'll love you after. Don't ever think this will change anything." Remert was nearly quoting Teal.

"This isn't the same as you being a prince. I'm life threatening."

He held her tightly as Teal's tears fell bitterly. He held her until the tears went away, until they went away for good.

***

Marcy and Devon looked out of the door and saw Remert as he stared in wonder at Teal's abilities.

"God above," Marcy said. "A prince is in love with a witch."

**Swwwwweeeeeeeet! Teal's magic! That's only a bit of what she can do, 'mind you. Next chapter Teresa finds out her daughter is in love with a prince, and things hit the fan. **

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	7. The Change, Awkward, Wine

_Should I explain every detail?_

_Tell Teresa everything?_

_Should I explain how you make my lips sigh?_

_And also make my heart sing?_

_-Meus Regius Amicus, An Original Poem written for Courtly Love by S.T. Gapurn_

Teal woke up in the morning, sitting up and breathing heavily. Her sisters were still sound asleep. She wished to go back to sleep, but if she did her dreams would be nightmare filled again. The same dream, losing control and hurting, even killing, Remert. The first time you dreamed about who you loved, you knew it was meant to be. But did this count?

She recalled the previous night vividly in detail. Teal showed Remert how she was a witch, and then sobbed for about an hour. He sat by her for every tear, every gasp of breath in between. Then when she finally stopped, he took her home. He had already left when Teal realized that her mother had gone ahead and locked the door. She had knocked on the wall of her bedroom until she scared her sisters so much that they opened the door for her. Then the nightmares began. Deciding that she was not going back to sleep, she decided to sit in the living room.

"Why are you up?" Teresa inquired. She was sitting in the living room with a few candles lit and holding a small book. "Doll, it must be six in the morning. Is something wrong?"

"Kind of." Teal walked over and sat by her mother.

"Well, I am your mother you know. You can talk to me about anything. But before you do that, will you explain why you've been acting so oddly these past few days? You went off somewhere with that Melissa girl and came back all funny behaving and I know you don't like strangers, but Floria didn't bother you until she talked about the prince. Then you didn't come back home until late last night, so I went ahead and locked the door."

"That's mostly why something's wrong." She paused. Should she spill every detail? Definitely not anything about telling Remert. But what about Remert telling her? It was her mother, the woman who she could trust anything with. As long as she didn't lie it was fine though, right? "Don't you know a lot about relationships?"

Teresa laughed. "I've been in quite a few. Don't let the secret get out, but I'm in a pretty serious one right now. We even had kids together. About six feet tall, red hair, name's Byron, ever heard of him?"

"Oh yes, I think we've met before. How did you feel when you met him?"

"Hmm...that's a good question. It seemed like...like there was nothing around me. Just him and I. Like the world could have ended right there and I could have been happy. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do."

"Have you felt that way recently?" her mother asked slyly. Why did mothers have to have the ability to read your emotions even if you hid them fifty kilometers away? _I swear, the moment you're born they give the mothers mind reading lessons_, Teal thought. _I need to be more discreet._

"Perhaps I have, perhaps I haven't."_ You idiot! You may as well have screamed, "Indeed Mother, I'm completely and utterly in love!" _

"_Who is he?"_

"Not telling."

"Teal Anne, I will tickle you half to death until you tell me. I am not going to judge you on who it is."

She held her breath. Finally exhaling, she said, "Remert."

Her mother was silent and as still as a statue. Her only sign of life Teal saw was her blinking, and even that was irregular.

"Oh." That was the only word that escaped Teresa's lips.

"Aren't you going to say anything? You know, a few tips on relationships, things like that?_ Fatus_ Mother!"

The spell quickly took effect. "He's a prince."

"Yes. Does it matter?"

"He's a prince," she repeated, nearly a growl this time.

"What's your point?"

"He's a prince! WHAT MORE DO I NEED TO SAY? ARE YOU DAFT?" Teresa was standing up in the center of the room now. "TEAL, YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO YOURSELF! YOU MAY AS WELL WEAR A SIGN AROUND YOUR NECK THAT SAYS, "I'M A WITCH," IF YOU THINK THAT THIS IS OKAY. IF YOU EVER HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS PRINCE, IT WILL BE SHARED WITH THE WORLD AND EVERYONE IN WHAYE WILL KNOW YOU'RE A WITCH. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?"

Teal was left speechless. This was the truth. It was a smack in the face, but the truth. Maybe not the shared with all of Whaye part, but if she ever became queen, everyone knew everything about you. Did Marcy and Devon know she was a witch? Hopefully not. It had to change, from that moment on. There was no more, "bubbly girl in love" act, it had to be secret. From this point on, it was courtly love. Melissa, Sebastian and Remert were the only ones to know about this. Deciding to tell Sebastian first, the one most likely to tell people, she whispered _Dimitto _and was in front of his house. She knocked on the front door and was sent into shock at who answered.

"Teal? What are you doing here?" Melissa asked. She had a blanket wrapped around her, that was it.

"You-Sebastian-blanket-mother-secret-what? Is Sebastian here?"

"Yes he is. Follow me." Teal walked behind Melissa to a bedroom where Sebastian was lying with-thank God- another blanket covering him.

"Back yet my lover?" he seductively inquired. He noticed Teal was with here. "What business do you have here?"

"It was Teal knocking," she said with a smile. "Te amo, mi querido"

"Te amo también Melissa. Mi amor por ti quema como el sol, con un calor de fuego de la pasión."

"-If I'm interrupting something, I'll come back later-"

"No, go ahead. What has upset you? Or is this good news?"

"I guess its good news." Melissa sat on the edge of the bed Sebastian was lying on. _This _was the true definition of, 'the kind of thing that makes you want to sleep in the same room as your parents for the rest of your life.' "This thing between Rem and I, it's got to be just us knowing. My mother had a point. I can't explain everything now because it seems you two were...busy. I'll let you get back to that. But you have to promise me that from this moment on, you cannot say a word about us liking each other, okay?"

"Don't worry Tight-Up Teal, we won't say anything." When he stopped talking there was a very awkward silence.

"Yeah."

"Indeed."

"I better leave."

"That sounds nice."

"Uh huh."

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye."

**

"_Expositus!" _So much for knocking. She walked through the walkway of the spell-opened door. Knowing Remert would be sleeping, she lightly stepped into his room. Surely enough, he was sleeping soundly. At least he didn't snore. Now to wake him. This wouldn't be pleasant.

She put her hand on his arm. "Sorry about this. _Glacies melt._"

"What? Stop!" He sat up immediately, soaked in ice cold water. "Teal? What in the name of Hades are you doing here? Why did you drench me in water?"

"We need to talk."

"You could have just said something, you didn't have to wake me like this!" Remert exclaimed.

"I already said sorry. But I need you to hear this. All of the being open about our relationship has got to stop." She explained everything her mother had said.

"Oh, I see. You're right, it makes sense."

"I've changed Rem. I didn't think someone could change in the course of a few moments, but I thought wrong. If I ever want to be something with you, I can't be a sniveling little girl like I have been lately. No more tears, no more blushing, no more doubts. I should be a woman."

"Wow. That's a big change. I believe in you though." He smiled. "Here's a thought. In congratulations in your becoming a woman, why don't we go to a party? Tonight is Tobias' party. His father is the richest noble in Trenova and they have a huge party every year. Tobias just turned nineteen I believe. A lot of nobles are going and my sister and I have been invited. Would you like to come with me?"

"...I-I don't know..."

"Live a little. Why don't you come by here about dusk and Devon will fancy you all up. I'm sure you wear the same dress size and she can probably fix your hair nicely. If we get back late you can stay the night here and you can tell your mother you were at Melissa's. Sound good?"

"Okay, I'll be here."

"One last thing: don't drink too much. There's going to be ale and wine and mead, so be careful. See you later."

"See you tonight Remert."

**

_But then I went and really spoiled it all_

_By filling up my glass again._

_-One Drink Too Many, Sailor_

The party was rousing. People everywhere were conversing and dancing. Minstrels were playing in some corner that Teal and Remert couldn't see and there was a table of drinks and food. Devon had lent Teal a dress of hers, a beautiful green silken dress, something that only royalty could afford. Her hair was left down in a flowing style with a small veil covering the top of her eyes. Remert kept close to her side while he talked with some people she didn't know.

"I cannot believe she had the nerve to come here with him either!" he noted to a teenage boy he was talking to.

"Everyone in the community is as shocked as we are. If she says that she's sworn to celibacy, why does she cart that man around her arm like a purse then?"

Teal was getting nervous. She didn't understand a word that anyone was saying, a fish out of water. Each person here knew each other and could talk about anything. Trying to drown out her thoughts momentarily, she took a few sips of her glass of wine.

"Are you okay?" Remert asked her. The teenage boy was gone.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit jittery." When Teal stopped talking, a tall brunette ran up and hugged Remert.

"Remy! It's been ages!" She kissed him on the cheek twice. Who was _she? _Teal drank quite a bit more of her glass, and without her knowledge, her witchcraft kept filling it.

"It has Glasia. How is Aunt Holly?"

"She's getting better. Arthur is the most adorable thing. Lost a lot of blood having him, but now she's fine." Devon made her way through the crowd and saw Teal.

"Teal? Is something wrong?" she asked. She led Teal to a nearby table so they could sit down.

"Nothing ish wrong. Who'sh the gi…rl Rehmert is hugging?"

"That's our cousin, Glasia. She's the crown princess of Geriu. You're acting all funny and slurring your speech. Have you been drinking?"

"On'y a bit. Tipshy, at besht." She took another drink and hiccupped. "I don't lice him being with her."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "I don't tell peopshle thish, but I'm the jealoush twipe. My old boyfend hung a'ound girlsh a lot. Moshtly friends, but 'at's probably why I never kished 'em."

"You never kissed your old...boyfriends are people that you like a lot, right?" Devon felt bad, taking advantage of Teal when she was smashed drunk, but there was some information coming out if it at least.

"Yeah, evan love shomtimesh. I theenk that Rehm ish the one for me. I love him. I ashtually love him." She stopped for a moment and put her hand over her stomach. "I don't feel too well. Could it be the whine?"

Devon realized that Teal was probably going to be sick, so she went and told Remert that they needed to leave. Her last memory of the night was Remert and Devon helping her walk to their house, then nothing.

***

"Where am I?" Teal asked the moment she woke up. It took her a bit to realize it was Remert's room, and his bed. Oh no, was she _that _drunk? They had done it, hadn't they? She pulled back the blanket to see that her dress was changed to the one she put on before Devon changed her last night.

"Up already?" Devon called. She walked into the room. "We took you here last night. If you don't remember, you got really drunk last night at the party and we went here. I changed your dress for you in case you got sick. Good thing you haven't emptied your stomach yet. Remert made a quick trip to the apothecary for you and he'll be back in a bit. How are you feeling?"

"Not so good. Horrible headache, stomach in knots, achy all over and I'm really dizzy."

"That's what normally happens. Taking a drink every time you get nervous adds up."

"I have no idea what I was thinking."

"Teal dear?" Remert came in carrying a cup of tea. "This is a yarrow, wormwood and lemon balm tea. It should help clear some of the symptoms. You need to keep hydrated too, according to the herbalist there." Teal took a swallow of the tea. It was noticeably bitter.

"You're a fairly silent drunk you know," Devon said with a laugh. "I heard all about the boy you liked last. And how you're the jealous kind of person. I never really imagined you like that. But past that you barely said a word"

"Uh huh..." Teal closed her eyes and fell back into the bed. "Can I take a quick nap?"

"Go ahead. I'll be by your side if you need anything Teal," Remert said, touching her hair lightly.

"Love you Rem."

"I love you too Teal."

**Teehee! I loved writing Teal drunk. Now everything's changed! She's not a goody-two-shoes anymore. Sebastian and Melissa got hot and heavy this chapter O.o I reuploaded chapters 2-5 because I noticed some errors. Nothing has changed though. Not sure what to write next chapter, taking suggestions!**

**Review, review, review, re to the view, heck, I'll rap it! Uber uber thanks to every reviewer so far, especially Dem. Just 'cause she's awesome. **

**Post-Scriptum: All of Meus Regicus Amicus can be found on my profile.**


	8. Horrible Situations

_It's hard to remember how it felt before_

_Now I found the love of my life..._

_Passes things get more comfortable_

_Everything is going right_

_-Cool, Gwen Stefani_

The after-effects of drinking weren't very suiting. Teal had been sleeping for the past three hours, Remert by her side every minute. He decided to wake her, worried that if she stayed too long her mother would be suspicious.

"You're going to need to wake up Bluie," he whispered and shook her arm lightly. Her eyes opened and went directly to him.

"Good...afternoon, right?"

"Right. At least I wake people up nicely. There's a stream not too far from here, I could have very easily have done what you did to me."

"My sincerest thanks. Did you just call me Bluie?"

"I guess your reaction time has slowed. And yes, I did. You call me Rem, why can I not give you a pet name? Teal is the perfect middle of blue and green, so I decided Bluie would be nice. Why did your mother name you that anyway?"

She shrugged. "The story I was always told was that teal was the colour my father's army section was represented by. She wanted something to remember him by, and apparently her first-born daughter was enough." Teal paused momentarily when her stomach started lurching again. Remert handed her the small bin that Devon had conveniently placed near the bed. She turned her head and emptied her near barren stomach. Moaning lightly, she turned back to him. "I thought you said the tea was supposed to make me better."

"It did exactly what it was supposed to do. Yarrow makes you sick so you get well. I knew you'd do that erelong. Do you feel any better now?"

"Actually, I do." She sat up straighter. Now the only thing bothering her was the throbbing headache and she knew only time could heal that. "Can I go home now?"

"If you feel well enough. I went ahead and told the apothecarist to save back another dose for you if you need it." Teal remembered the times when if you had a stomachache or headache, you took some pills and were better. Here it was herbs, each one a different use. Why did it seem like modern times were centuries ago? Today was her fourth day here. She was already a natural- almost anyway.

"I don't think I'll need it, but thank you for doing that. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow sounds good. I'm going to be at the castle for some lessons. Princely business, making laws, but I digress. Just don't be there before two o'clock or there will be consequences. I'm not kidding Teal; if you do you're putting yourself in danger. Promise me that you won't go earlier than two o'clock?"

"I promise, but why are you being so protective?"

"I have my reasons, and this one is very important. Bye Teal." She got up and walked to his bedroom door and was going to step out before he called out, "Wait!"

Teal turned around. "Yes?"

He looked down and fidgeted with his hands. "When you said, 'I love you,' this morning, did you mean it or were you just tired?"

"...That's a good question. Let me answer with another question, did you mean it when you said I love you back?"

"Yes, I did." He didn't dare to hesitate. There was no point in lying to her. She would have known anyway, whether he answered or not. Girls made you spill every secret you held dear. Why did they have to be so damn overwhelming?

"Okay, I won't be at the castle before two. Bye Remert, I'll see you tomorrow." She rushed out nervously. What was that about? Relationships were supposed to be based on honesty, were they not? Love was a strong word though, a very strong word. Perhaps she didn't love him. Should she? Was he only a nuisance, being royalty? Hopefully not. He lay down on his bed, the place Teal had been for the past thirteen hours. If he was lucky enough, maybe she could be sleeping next to him in this bed one day.

But who would do that, if the price was being a queen?

**

"Back from Melissa's?" Teresa asked as Teal walked in.

"Uh huh. It was pretty fun, we talked about boys a lot." She paused for a dramatic effect. When she lived in Southwestern Whaye, she always wanted to be an actress. The drama classes she had taken in middle school became extremely useful. "I came across the- _prince._" She spat the last word like it was a curse.

"Really? What did you do?"

"I gave the idiot a piece of my mind. I told him that if he ever dared to think about having a relationship with me, I'd make him wish he'd never met me. He just ran off, and he better stay away."

"What's gotten into you?" She truly believed that Teal had spoken so horribly to Remert. As long as she kept this act up, Teresa would suspect nothing. Now to really get her.

"I listened to what you said. Who needs men anyway? If I want to have a decent life then it sure won't be with royalty! I'm out of his league anyway. He must have been dragged with the ugly rope down Ugly Street into a pack of wild dogs." _That last one was unnecessary, _Teal thought. She tried her hardest not to laugh, but a few laughs escaped.

"See? I told you I was right Teal. Why are you giggling though?"

"At his foolishness," she lied convincingly. "When I told him to stay away from me, he begged me to be his wife. Saying stupid things like, 'Why won't you love me? I really like you Teal!' It was pitiful!"

"A very intelligent choice then," Teresa praised. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you Mother." She nodded to her, and then gasped. "I'm going to run back to Melissa's, I forgot my hair ribbon."

"Be back soon dear."

"Quick as a rabbit." As Teal walked out, her lips slipped into a sly grin. _Silly mother, _she thought. _The one who would have cried if she had known that I had spent the night at a boy's house, the one who would have passed out if she found me drunk. Thinking I'm innocent and will bend under your every rule, you really are gullible aren't you?_

**

"I don't want to know what happened!" Teal squealed. "All I know is that when I found you, you were in a blanket with nothing on at Sebastian's house! I can add two and two!"

"Teal, calm down," Melissa tried to soothe. "It was just a trust exercise."

"Chances are, exercise _would _be involved..." They were both sitting in Melissa's room, Melissa trying to explain her situation to Teal. When she had found her best friend with no clothes on at a boy's house, her mind flew to the first conclusion that anyone's mind would, and it sure wasn't playing cards.

"Listen to me. Here's what happened: I asked him if he would like me no matter what. He said he would. So I put it to the test. I believed that if we did that and he could still wake up in the morning and say he loves me, it was meant to be. And so it was. He didn't get up and leave me, he stayed. If a man can do that, then he's got self-control."

"Answer me this," she said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Was it Southwestern Whaye or Southeastern Whaye?"

"Let's just say that the novice helped the teacher."

"Melissa! You shouldn't do that! The way they do that is very different than how you do it. They have guidelines, specific rules for religion. Face it, Southwestern Whaye style is mostly whoreish."

"Not the way I do it."

"Please, change of subject?"

"Where have you been the past two days?"

"Well, you see..." Teal began and told her the whole story. Melissa cried laughing when she heard Teal had gotten inebriated at the party.

"H-how much wine does it t-take to get drunk?" she asked between hysterics.

"A lot," Teal mumbled.

"And you want to poke fun at me?"

"Now now, I think your situation is much worse. If you told my mother I did that, she would probably hate me for a month. Your parents would hate you for the rest of your life if I told them about you."

"That was nice of him to help you with your hangover," Melissa noted, changing the subject. "Even went and got you Melissa." She smiled at the herb's Latin name.

"He doesn't even know what a hangover is. I think I'm adapting better to here than I thought. I've kind of changed my way of talking to other people. The only reason I do talk like this to you is because you're just about the only one who will understand."

"Melissa! It's getting dark out, your friend needs to leave!" Madalena called.

"I guess I'll see you later Legs-Open Lissi."

"I'm never going to live this down am I?"

"Nope. Never."

**

_You're worthless_

_I hate you_

_And I don't care_

_What happens to you_

_-You're Nothing, Jeri Bourrous_

Teal walked through the bustling streets of Trenova in the hot summer heat. Most of the light bounced off of her off-white dress, but she was still sweating viciously. It must have been past two o'clock. Confirming her guessing, a nearby sundial was about 40 degrees past noon. Making her way past the people, past an empty field to the castle. It seemed more gorgeous than before. She had never seen a real castle in person, just pictures of some in fairy tales. Some kind of fairy tale where a prince fell in love with a commoner. _I hated those, _she thought. _The girl was always obsessed with the prince. She never had any friends and always married young and had children early. I'm not like that. Not until I'm twenty five. _She knocked on the door and no one answered. Anxiously, she opened the door and called Remert's name.

"Are you here?" Teal walked further into the front room. A man that looked a bit like Remert walked into the room. He had Remert's facial shape, along with his nose and stature. A blond teen trailed behind him.

"Is who here?" the man asked, a mischievous grin playing on his face. He must have been Calebenthian. Didn't Floria say something about him hurting his wife?

"D-Devon," she stuttered. "I'm her friend, Wulfwyn." She had used the first name that came to her mind, her first cat's name.

"Wulfwyn? Really? I don't believe she's ever talked about you." He advanced closer towards her, menacingly.

She tried her hardest not to lose her cool. "Of course, I just moved here from Geriu." It was the only realm she knew here, and she hoped he didn't know much about it.

"Then I guess you liked the signing of Ophelia's Law then?" the blonde asked. Was that his half-brother if the other man was his father?

"Oh, y-yes, I did." Hopefully that was the right answer.

"Are you sure? Ophelia's Law says that any women caught in the streets alone past six o'clock will be sent to the asylum or hung. So, Geriu is it?"

"No, I meant-" Teal said quickly but was cut off.

"-I think you're lying to us Wulfwyn, if that is your name," Caleb interrupted. He was standing right in front of her with his younger son at his side. "You are here for Remert, aren't you?"

"I-"

"I guess that would be why you called his name when you entered here?"

"I-"

"I'm also guessing that he told you to wait to come here, correct?" His voice was a shout now. He quieted himself and smiled in that evil way again. He put his hand on her shoulder and lowered his voice to a whisper. "But don't worry yourself. When we're done with you, Remert won't want you anymore." She knew it was no use to cry out, no one was near enough to hear her scream. There was two of them, she couldn't turn and run. Then there was a loud crashing noise from the entrance of the room. The door flew open and Remert stood there.

"WHAT THE HELL?" He ran to Caleb and pulled Teal behind him. "DON'T LAY ANOTHER GODDAMN HAND ON HER!"

"Home early? Scared I'd hurt your little girlfriend?" Remert got closer to Caleb and shoved him with extreme force into the stone wall. The adrenaline of the moment only made the shove harder. Teal wanted to faint when she heard the sickening crunch of a bone breaking. Caleb's wrist was bent at an odd angle and his arm was too.

"Let's leave Thalleus, before this gets out of hand." Thalleus and his father walked out before Remert could yell any more swear words at them.

"Teal, Teal," he repeated her name over and over as he held her tightly. "Did he do anything?"

"No, but I know he would have. I wasn't here before two..."

"I know, I'm sorry. I ran late. Please forgive me, I know it was my fault, please-"

"-It wasn't your fault. Why does he hate you so much? Why does he do all of this?"

Remert sighed. "That's a different story for a different day. But as for right now, I want you to be okay."

"I am."

"I don't know. Sometimes I'm not so sure."

**I finally finished this chapter! Thank the good lord above me! I think I have the chicken pox, so that's why I haven't updated. I may have to go to the doctor tomorrow, eurg. Anyway, I just got pelted with snow and my internet has been going off and on. Not to mention the writer's block. I have a lot of problems, don't I? I'll be taking ideas still for the next chapters! Also, if you've wrote a song or poem that you think will go with a future chapter, send it to me and it might make it here! I try to include my fans in the making of my stories as much as possible. One last thing, I'm going to start working on a Free-webs site for all side info. **

**Roses are red, violets are blue, chocolate is nice, reviewers are too!**


	9. Be My Angel

_No-no-no-no baby, no-no-no-no don't lie_

_No-no-no baby, no-no-no you gotta try_

_What you gonna do when it all comes out?_

_When they really see you and what you're all about?_

_-Don't Lie, Black Eyed Peas_

Remert rubbed his eyes, trying his hardest not to close them again and sleep. Then again, it was a pretty good dream. No, I have to go to church, he thought. Today was Sunday and he knew he needed to go anyway. Teal had been spending time with her family and Melissa for the past four days so he spent his time with Marcy, Devon and Sebastian. It was good not to spend every single moment with someone you liked, otherwise it got really annoying and you began hating each other. He probably wouldn't be able to see her today anyway.

Why don't you invite her to church with you? his more intelligent side asked. Admitably, that would be nice. Were there even churches in Southwestern Whaye? If not, there was no time like the present to begin going. He got dressed quickly and within fifteen minutes he was at Teal's house. Now for the difficult part. Avoiding her sisters and mother but still waking her up. With her three room house, it would be hard not to wake them all. Unless...

As he went to the side of the house he found his assumptions correct. There was a tiny hole in the wall that was normally covered up by material, used to air out the houses. Then he did what he thought would be the most romantic thing.

"Uhm...what in the name of..." Elissa mumbled sleepily when she was hit in the head with a pebble. She sat up in her bed and noticed two or three small rocks coming through the window. Was this another one of those weird dreams where a knight in shining armour was standing outside of her window and he whisked her off to a castle? Looking outside, it was only some teen ruffian by himself.

"What are you doing, you thickskulled hooligan? It's early in the morning!" she angrily called to him. He was about ten feet away from her outside.

"Where's your sister?" he asked.

"Well Captain Vague, I only have four. Hair colour, height, name, specifics?"

He sighed pointedly in an irritated way. "Teal. Red hair. Bit taller than you. Can you get her?" She groaned inwardly and went over to her sister. Shaking her arm vigorously, she awoke and groggily dragged her feet to the window while Elissa fell back onto her bed.

"Throwing pebbles at my window. Quite the romantic, aren't we?"

He smiled. "I try."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm going to church in about an hour; would you like to come with me?"

"I don't know. What is church even like here?" So she had been before, that was a plus.

"If you can perform a spell in Latin, you can sing in it too. And if you can sit in a pew on top of that, you're already doing better than me."

"Fine, I'll go. Hold on a moment." She turned away from the window and about five minutes later she snuck out of the front door. Her hair was combed and she was out of her nightgown.

"Okay then, let us depart," he said, holding her hand.

*

"So, do you believe in this?"

"Do I believe in what?" Teal asked, confused. According to Remert, they were halfway to the church. There were only three chapels in the large town, so it would be quite packed.

"Religion. Think about it, you're a-" He looked around anxiously for a moment. "-witch. You've got near endless power. How can you believe in religion like that?"

Her eyes narrowed. "That has nothing to do with it. I still believe in religion, even though I'm different. And I don't have endless powers. Remember the murder spell? That only works every sixty years. Spells have cooldowns, we need to be able to control ourselves, and there aren't spells for everything. I remember one time when I was seven -and you better take this to your grave- I was trying to light a candle with a spell and ended up killing our pet bird. My mother still thinks Sherbert died peacefully in her sleep and she's going to continue thinking that."

"When you say not for everything, any specifics?"

"Not to create food, cause fights, change emotions, change decisions, rid of pregnancy, things like that. The list goes on pretty long. People who know what we are tend to think we're perfect. I still have bad breath in the morning, I still despise some people and they do the same to me, I still can break a bone, my heart can still break, I can still die." There was a silence, the type of silence for the moments when there was nothing that needed to be said. Finally, they reached the church and went inside.

*

"_In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti,_" Teal sang softly. Her singing voice was honestly horrible. It was much too low and sounded all funny, which is why she sang softly. At least she was trying. Remert was just mumbling and mouthing the words. When they were allowed to sit for a moment Teal nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Even I'm attempting, and I only know the parts of the song they sing over and over. Even if you sing really really quiet like me I'll be happy. It's church, no one's listening to you and you know who you're singing for." He smirked at her and then the minister announced the next song. The smirk dropped off of his face into pondering.

"Hmm. I don't think I know that one." Teal looked to her left and saw a hymn book sitting in the pew. Churches probably had enough money to make books because of the taxes.

"There's a hymn book to my left," she whispered.

"So? Ignore it," Remert whispered sharply back.

"Why? If you don't know the song then it's probably best to look and see the words." She handed the book to him but he put it by his side. They stood up and pretended to know the words. With a few final prayers and two speeches, church was dismissed. Teal decided to go to Remert's house with him for a bit, partly to question his behavior.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, changing her direction to go towards his house. He was quiet. No answer.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Nothing is wrong Teal, I just didn't want to read the lyrics."

"Didn't want to read?" She was puzzled. "If you can't read Rem, that's fine-"

"That has nothing to do with it. Drop the subject."

She was taken aback a bit with his behavior. "Listen. I'm not a complete idiot when it comes to these times. I know that very few people can read and that doesn't bother me. There aren't that many books anyway. Answer me, don't beat around the bush and don't lie, can you read?"

He looked away from her. "No. I never bothered to learn. I went to school when I was eight, kicked out when I was eight and a half because they thought I was stupid. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, they don't teach you how to read. It doesn't make any difference whether I can read or not. I'm not a scribe nor in a profession where I'm required to write. Even as a king, it's unnecessary."

"Well, it's good to know. If you ever want to read a book of laws or anything of that variety you'll need to read." She stopped speaking, obviously in thought. "My mother has an old bible. It's half in Latin and half in English. If you want, I can teach you from it."

"As I mentioned, unnecessary..." Her lips pressed on his stopped him from further speaking. When she broke apart from him she put her index finger over his lips.

"Don't say anything before I finish. I want to help you with this. For the next few weeks, I'll go to your house for a half hour or hour every weekday and you're going to be a perfectly literate man when we're done. Okay?"

"Fine. But I'm going to get you back eventually."

"Yes, I know."

*

Teal had been going to Remert's house for the past few days and he was making progress. Latin was easier to learn because of how often it was used, but he was still working diligently on English.

"Ready?" Teal asked as she walked in with her mother's bible.

"As ready as I'll be," he replied. She sat down next to him and opened the book.

"Oh, I like this passage. Think you can read it?"

"It's worth a shot." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked at the part he would be reading. "Um…a-and I saw a my-mu-mighty angel proc-claiming in a loud voy-voice, 'Who is wuh-worthy to bree-eak the seals and open the scroll?'" Remert read aloud, with Teal's help on pronouncing most of the words.

"Much better!" she praised.

He turned to Teal. "What do you think angels are?"

"Messengers for the most part."

"Really? Do you think people can be angels?"

"...I'm confused. What do you mean by that?"

"I've considered angels to be people that help others no matter what. They appear out of nowhere."

"I don't know honestly. Maybe so, maybe not."

"Okay, just wondered."

*****

_If I could be your angel  
Your angel, Your angel  
Protect you from the pain  
I'll keep you safe from danger  
You'll never hurt again_

_-Angel, Natasha Bedingfield_

It was dark out when she finally got back home. Teal had went and spent a few hours at Melissa's after helping Remert. When she got to the door she wanted to gasp at what she saw.

There was a bouquet of the most gorgeous wildflowers she had ever seen in a pretty vase. But what made Teal the happiest was the tiny piece of parchment folded next to the vase.

_You'll always be my angel. Love always, Rem._

**Chapter done! My ailment is gone, yaaay. I am still suffering severe writers block :( This chapter was kind of difficult to write (and now I can say I've finished a fanfiction at three in the morning.) Plot ideas would be nice. **

**Today I heard some of the songs that I put for the quotes. I had heard most of them, but I'm definitely not a Taylor Swift fan and Graham Kendrick is an indies brit songwriter. Unusual You is actually a pretty good song.**

**-lowers voice- Momma always said, reviews are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. (Why do I have so many chocolate metaphors and analogies?)**

**Post Scriptum: Yes, I used a Boondock Saints quote. :P**


	10. Preen Clean Fourteen Queen?

**I hate A/N's at the beginning of stories, but you need to know this one. In this chapter, there will be kings and queens from other countries. Here is the list:**

**Trenova- Queen Marcy and Crown Prince Remert; Eloria- King Peter and Queen Kaenus; Geriu- King Joseph and Crown Princess Glasia; Poiu- King Roess and Queen Noele; Isoptha- King Dalthus and Queen Shiena; Almeria- Queen Emeralde**

_Just keep on breaking the rules_

_Come on, get ready to rule_

_-Breaking The Rules, AC/DC_

Remert held Teal's hand while the kings and queens of every country quieted down. Four times a year, once every season, the royal families from each kingdom came together to make sure everything wasn't going awry in other places. No too-high taxes, no wars, the basics. Only direct royalty was invited; taking Devon even would be dancing on the edge. Bringing Teal was like waltzing fifty kilometers over the line. Hopefully no problems would arise.

"Is everyone here?" Marcy asked.

"King Peter and Queen Kaenus are on their honeymoon," Emeralde stated. "Queen Holly is recovering from the birth of her newest son Arthur, so Glasia will represent Geriu with her father. The same for Calebenthian and Remert I'm guessing?"

Marcy nodded. "As always."

"Always?" Teal whispered.

"I've represented Trenova since I was twelve," he whispered back. "Sometimes when the king or queen is young at their coronation someone else will represent them. King Dalthus and his wife for instance. They're only fifteen. They insisted to stand for Isoptha though."

Teal gazed over at the young couple. The woman's belly was swollen. Dalthus put his hand on her stomach proudly. Would that be Teal in a few years? She loved Remert, but did she love him _that _much? According to her mother, wasn't she supposed to wait until she was all grown-up and married to have children? She was going to wait until marriage, but how far off was that?

"Poiu is doing well," King Roess said. "Prices are reasonable and the drought we had is over. Farmers have returned to work and our harvest will not suffer." Different things were said about the kingdoms, most of them good, and then it came to Trenova.

"Maerciette, I wish to ask you about Trenova," King Joseph, her brother, began, "but first I have a question for Remert. Who is this girl you've brought? It's been bothering me like the dickens. You know only royalty is invited, correct?"

"I know very well the seasonal meeting rules. This girl is Teal Mynery, a potential queen of Trenova." Everyone gasped or stared. Every pair of eyes went directly to her. It took most of her conscious to prevent from blushing or looking scared. The other part of her conscious was saying, _Come on! He just introduced you as a potential queen! Prove to them you're strong and show how proud you are to be in love with Remert! _

"Queen? Is there an engagement in place, or are you already married?" Glasia called.

"We are not yet married, only in love. I'm not even sure that we _will _be married, but some force tells me that she's the one for me."

"Does she know this?"

Remert paused and smiled a bit. "She does now."

There was a very awkward silence. No one knew what to say. Love with a commoner wasn't an unnatural sight, nor at a young age. But after the early-love situation that happened with Caleb and Marcy, who was to say the same situation wouldn't happen to the offspring of those who began the scare? Would he follow Marcy's lead, or turn to Caleb's?

"I must admit, I am as frightened as you are," Marcy said softly. "I know only too well what it is like to think you are in love, only to find it a lie later, especially at an impressionable age. Joseph, you remember how our parents were. Sensible and cared about us, but they just wanted us to grow up as soon as possible and marry. I didn't raise Remert like that, I taught him to love long before marriage. As much as I disapprove of young love now, I know this isn't like mine."

Joseph looked at her unbelievingly and chucked a bit. "You're contradicting yourself Marcy!"

"At the seasonal meeting we must call the kings and queens by their full first name-" Glasia chimed in.

"-And I honestly don't care. My nephew is simply too young for this to happen. If my sister had stayed in Geriu like it was intended, this wouldn't be taking place!

"And _had _she stayed in Geriu, where would Trenova be?" Remert angrily stood up. "Anarchy, battles left and right, that's where! I wouldn't exist, Devon wouldn't exist! You wouldn't be king and your wife wouldn't be queen!"

"Anyway, who said young love was bad?" Noele asked.

"Any logical person, that's who!" Roess loudly answered.

Dalthus' wife, Shiena, stumbled to stand up but then proclaimed, "I stand fully for Remert!"

"Since when were we choosing sides?"

Everyone began talking louder and louder, trying to drown out the next person with their ideas until a single shout silenced everyone.

"STOP!" Teal yelled. They all halted and turned towards her.

"This is about you anyway. Why don't you explain your doing Briar Rose?" Remert flinched at the name he called her. It was a derogatory term used for girls who married princes just because they were princes, modeled after the Italian fairytale.

Teal inhaled deeply. "I'm quite truthfully sick and tired of hearing this. Obviously I know my doing and he knows his. Age doesn't matter when it comes to love. My mother rebels against this like you." Was she supposed to say _why _she rebelled though? Remert didn't know, no one knew besides her mother, sisters, and father. Would it be a good secret to spread throughout all of the royalty? Perhaps. It would explain everything.

"So, why does she?"

Yes. No. Yes. No.

Just say it.

"My mother was pregnant with me at sixteen and had me at seventeen. She knows also what the feeling of too early love is. If she would have stopped being so promiscuous in her teens, she probably wouldn't have had four kids one after another."

"Sixteen? That's it?" Dalthus quizzed.

"Old to you, painfully young for Northern Whaye people. If you even get married before you turn twenty four it's illegal. Laws change a lot over time gaps."

Silence again. "And you turned out fine?" Remert almost whispered.

"Indeed. But my father loved my mother. They didn't care about what others told them. They got married at about twenty six, when my father was on leave from the military. He's been gone twelve years of my life, only coming home for about two or three days a year. Yet he still vowed to love my mother. Even though they were young, they were in love. I don't believe I'll be pregnant or married at sixteen, but I do think I'll be very much in love by then. Is it wrong to dip your toes in the water before submerging yourself? I'm not irresponsible."

"Not irresponsible, eh Winey?"

"Glasia, she doesn't whine. It was just a joke," Remert covered up quickly. Thank the stars for homophones. Glasia caught on quickly.

"I know, but she's a good actress when it comes to whining. She really had me thinking that she hated you hugging her!"

"Um...I think this is the end of this meeting," Emeralde said. "We'll meet back again in mid October. I wish you all safe travels and I hope you have a wonderful summer."

Teal grabbed Remert's hand again and they walked out with Marcy. What was the major question about getting married? Couldn't she just wait, or would she be pressured into this? Surely Remert wouldn't pressure her, but everyone else would. Was it right?

Yes? No?

**I goooot over my writer's block! Turaluuuuraloooo! I even know what I'm writing for my next chapter, thanks to my uber awesome (and goofy) friend Kayla. Hint: it involves shapeshifting. I apologize for the religious thing, I made sure not to peg the chapter to one religion. I know what I worship, and you know what you do. Life's supposed to be a variety, is it not? Aaaanyway, read and review!**

**Astronaut: Houston, we have a problem. Radio: Why? Astronaut: Well, it's not so much of a problem, I just like reviews on my story on Fanfiction. Radio: Just land the rocket Jim.**

**P.S. Freewebs. Com/serenitywriting is being created!**


	11. Catting Around

_Ooh you're a cool cat_

_Coming on strong with all the chit chat_

_Ooh you're alright_

_-Cool Cat, Queen_

"Melissa, it's necessary!"

"Unless I'm going to randomly combust, then it's not necessary!"

"You'll be in a grave one way or another! You have to shapeshift if you ever want to live past fourteen!"

"I've got a friend over, leave me alone!" Melissa ran back into her room and slammed the door.

"So, fighting about shapeshifting?" Teal asked.

"Yeah. I told you. How is it fair? I hate being a freak, that's why I begged to move here anyway. I didn't spend two weeks on the streets just for fun. I lost sixteen pounds that I still haven't got back."

"Wow. I hope things get better."

"How can things get better when there's nothing to shapeshift for?" Melissa asked. "Back in Faro I would shapeshift for a joke every now and again, but here I'd be killed! Not that I'd go back, but I'd do anything to shut my parents up."

Teal paused and thought of the best joke ever. Melissa could shapeshift, Teal would get some information that she wouldn't get from anyone else, and the victim wouldn't know anything. But what if the victim did find out? Chances of that were they wouldn't. But what if... Nah, it would be fun anyway.

"I just had the most wonderful idea. You need to shapeshift, correct?"

"Correct."

"And you can shapeshift into most animals, correct?"

"Most."

"Then, why don't you go catting around a bit?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't worry, you'll love it." Teal then whispered to Melissa every word of her plan to spy on Remert.

**

"Aww, you're adorable!" Teal squealed. Melissa sat in front of her as a small brindled cat. Teal picked her up and walked to Remert's door. "You know the plan, right?"

"Yes. This isn't awkward, having my friend carry me to her love's door. Especially since, oh right, I'm a cat!"

"Quiet down. He'll hear you." Teal knocked at the door and Remert answered.

"Hello Bluie," he said. He leaned in to kiss her, but noticed "the cat" and stopped. "What's with the furball?"

"Oh, that's why I'm here! I found her on the street and she's got a ribbon tied around her neck, so she obviously belongs to someone. I've used the transport spell too many times today-"

"There's a limit on the transport spell?"

"Yes, there is," she lied. "Anyway, can you watch her until tomorrow? I promise that I'll send her back to her owner as soon as possible."

"Teal, I'm allergic to cats. I'll be sneezing like a madman."

"But Rem," she whined, "she's adorable!"

"Fine." He sighed. "Can we at least give her a nickname so we can stop calling her, well, her?"

"Aphrodite? I like that."

"Come on Aphrodite, let's go." He picked her up, and sure enough he began sneezing. It was going to be a long day.

*

"Afternoon Rem," Sebastian greeted as he walked in. Melissa was lying on the floor in the corner.

"How are you Seabass?" Remert asked, closing the journal he was writing in and laid the quill on the table. Melissa padded up to Sebastian and nuzzled his leg.

"What's with the cat? It obviously likes me."

"Some cat Teal found. Aphrodite, leave him alone." She hissed at him. She liked Sebastian; she wasn't going to leave him alone. Now it was time to listen though.

"Nice. What are you writing? You seemed pretty enthralled in whatever it was."

"T-that? Nothing. Just...possibilities for something."

Remert's friend sat down in the chair across from Remert. "Spill the details. It's not like the cat's going to tell anyone."

"It's just...you know I really like Teal."

"Increasingly obvious."

"Well, we went to a big family reunion..." _Close enough, _he thought. "...and everyone there kept talking about us getting married. It kind of got to me. Some part of my brain finally yelled out, 'You love her more than anything, why wait any longer if you don't have to?'"

Sebastian's eyes widened. "You're _proposing _to her?"

"It depends on your definition of propose. I've been writing down things that I should say to her mother. I'm going to ask her first. Her father doesn't live with them at the moment or else he'd be first. Any ideas on what I should do?"

"Oh my...I-whoa. I cannot believe that you're going through with this." Remert stood up and went to his room for a moment. Melissa would have followed him, but she couldn't be too suspicious. She wanted to gasp at what he brought back. It was a silver wedding band. He wasn't kidding. He was going to ask Teal for her hand in marriage. Should she tell her this? _No, _she decided. _It's better for her to find out from him. _

"See? I truly mean this." There was a silence. Sebastian just stared at him unbelievingly. Melissa couldn't believe it herself. They had known each other two months, and he wanted to marry her? Seb probably understood more than she did; he had grown up here. Were they that much in love already? Was Teal ready to lead a country with Remert? There were so many questions, and so few answers.

"How's Lissi?" Remert asked, changing the subject. Her ears pricked up.

"Same, I still love her. Not ready for marriage of course. She's made me want to leave behind my past though. Those other girls who I used, they weren't anything. I knew that from the moment I-"

"-Seduced them?"

"I was going to say met them, but yours works too. Melissa is different. She even shapeshifts in front of me sometimes. Cats mostly." He looked at Melissa. She tried her hardest to act normal and not say anything. "Looks a bit like this one."

"I don't know a whole bunch about the whole shifting thing."

"It can be confusing. I think I'll let you get back to writing those things. See you." Sebastian left, with a whimper from Melissa, and a wonder at what would take place soon.

**

It was dark out. Remert was lying in his bed and the cat stepped over to him.

"Go away cat, I'm nervous enough." The cat stepped back. Was it actually listening to him? One way to find out. "What should I do?" It shrugged. Then she got a worried look in her eyes, like she had done something she wasn't supposed to do. What did Sebastian say about Melissa? Was this cat a shapeshifter?

"Are you a human?" The cat got really scared. She backed against the wall and kept meowing. Then it hit him: she was nuzzling Sebastian. Hissed when he told her to get away from him. This...no way. It...it was Melissa! She was spying on him! She would tell Teal everything! But she wouldn't say a word to him! Unless...

"Ah, well, I guess it doesn't matter." The cat sighed in relief. "You know, I'm tired." He yawned for effect. "It's really hot tonight. Hmm...well, I'll just sleep in the nude then." He was bluffing, but Melissa started panicking. She looked at the door and knew she couldn't open it with her paws or push it open. Remert began to pull up his tunic, and Melissa screamed like a banshee.

"STOP! DON'T!"

"I knew it!" He picked her up by the scruff of her neck. "Listen up Melissa, and listen good. You don't know a thing that happened today. You're going to tell Teal that I talked to Seb about a jousting tournament. One last thing, I need you to get her and her sisters out of the house for about two hours tomorrow. I have to ask her mother this. Comprehend that?"

"Yes, yes, just don't take off your clothes! I swear I won't tell!"

"Good." He let her go. "Goodnight Mel."

"Goodnight, just leave me alone!" she screamed, running out of the room as fast as possible when Remert opened the door.

**Kayla, my dearest friend, I huggles you for this chapter idea. I came up with the nude idea though ;) The next chapter is about Remert asking Teresa for Teal's hand in marriage...ooh, I smell controversy. Then, after that chapter, we reach a whole new section of Courtly Love that takes place a few years after. Shut up self, you'll reveal too much. **

**Reviews are the east, and the authoress is the sun...Sorry, I had to do it :)**

**P.S. Check out my anti-Twilight story, Thanks To Twilight I Cannot...**


	12. The Proposition

_I come here today, I'm kind of nervous_

_You know how words get in my way_

_It should come easy, I've been rehearsing_

_I don't know why I'm so afraid to say_

_-Will You Marry Me, Alabama_

Remert looked at himself in the mirror. Why was the reflection back so horribly wrong? It showed him standing, calm and collected. Mirrors couldn't show the inside, how scared he was and unsure of what Teresa would say today. He ran his fingers through his hair a final time to make sure he looked fine. What would Teal have to say about this? _I know she loves me, _he thought, _but does she love me this much? Whatever god there is above knows I love her more than my life. Are we prepared to make both of our lives into one? _

His mother had Remert at fifteen and was married at twelve. Teresa had Teal at sixteen and that was in Northern Whaye. But Teal had said, _"__I don't believe __I'll__ be pregnant or married at sixteen." _She didn't _think. _In other words, she did not think that Remert would propose to her. Right? No, probably not. Well, then what did she mean? Who knew anyway? Girls were confusing. And yet he was about to latch himself to one for life?

_I wish you'd keep quiet, _he thought in response to the things the other part of his brain was saying.

_I'm only trying to help, _it answered. _You know that it's true. _

_That's probably why I don't listen to you. You always kill my mood. _

You can do this. You can do this.

He walked out of his house, every step closer to his destiny.

*

"Teal?" Melissa said as she opened Teal's door. She came to the door.

"Hey Mel. So, what did Remert say yesterday?"

"Oh, just something about a jousting tournament to Seb. I just wanted to show you and your sisters this hiding place I found about a mile out of town."

"All of my sisters? Why?"

"I, um, just wanted to let them get out of the house too," she lied. "They've been cooped up for a while, right?"

"Sure, I guess, but why the sudden interest in my sisters?" Teal seemed confused. That was Remert wanted, correct?

"It's not a sudden interest, I just think it would be a nice girl's day out. We'll stop by Sebastian's house and he can come too."

"I thought it was a _girl's _day out."

"It is. Sebastian is my best guy friend though."

"Is Rem coming?"

"No, he had to go to some prince lessons with his mom."

"Fine, sounds nice. Allie! Ellie! Is! Ray! Come on, we're leaving!" Melissa sighed in relief. It was going to be a long day.

*

_What am I going to say again? Oh, right..yeah, then I...okay, I know. _Running through the things he was going to say for what seemed to be the billionth time, he noticed how close he was to Teal's house. His breath came faster with every step he took. Was she gone? Had Melissa ratted him out? He was hyperventilating by the time he got to the front step. Hands shaking like a tambourine, he knocked on the door.

"Who are you?" the woman who answered the door asked. She had some of the facial features Teal had and the hair colour of Elissa and Alicia.

"Are you Mrs. Mynery?"

She seemed puzzled. "Teresa. As I just asked, you are?"

"Remert Ffoi. A suitor of your daughter."

Still puzzled. "Remert you say? Um...which daughter?"

"Teal. Has she said anything about me before?"

Now her eyes narrowed. "She has. Aren't you the desperate little snob prince?"

"No...I just told you. I like, well, really like, or...you and I need to talk, okay?"

"Why should I?" Teresa inquired, venom in her voice. "You're just some silly boy with a crown."

"Actually, a silly boy with a crown who is in love with your daughter Teal. Not your run-of-the-mill variety."

"Okay then, you better get to explaining." She led him into the main room and sat down in a chair. Remert sat in the one across from her.

"Before I begin, I just want to say that I've loved your daughter for a long time now. We mean a lot to each other, and I hope that you can understand this. I know that you are aware of what it is like to be in love at an early age-"

"Who told you?" She seemed agitated. Was he not supposed to talk about that?

"Teal. My mother fell in love at age eleven, so I know from her also how that goes."

"Your mother is a native to Southeastern Whaye, correct?"

"Right, yes."

"And don't mind me asking, but how is their relationship today?"

He paused anxiously. "I'm nothing like that. If you already know that I'm a prince, then you know my parents and my past. There are some wounds I don't like opening again and again. I'm always called off as Caleb's son. Barely ever Marcy's son. I am not anything like him."

"Can you get to the point? I've got to run to the market, and I expect my daughters to be back soon."

"I am at the point. I love your daughter and I want to make sure you know that."

"To tell the truth, I don't care how much you 'love' her. You can admire from afar, but that's about as close as you'll get."

"Has she told you anything?" he asked unbelievingly. "I could bet you anything that you couldn't answer three questions about her!"

"Teal tells me everything. Go ahead."

"First, do you know what her favorite passage in the bible is?"

"Um..."

"John 3:16 because she thinks it's a classic. Next, what's her favorite colour?"

"I know this one..."

"Yellow because it jumps out from the crowd. Her second favorite colour is rainbow. How old was she when she had her first kiss?"

Teresa stared in shock. She shook her head and then smiled in victory. "That's a trick question. Nice try though. She's never been kissed."

"Wrong again." Now he smiled triumphantly. "She was fourteen."

"But she _is _fourteen."

"Precisely."

Her face turned twenty shades of pink and red. "B-but, that would mean, y-you...you kissed her?"

"We've been kissing for the past two months. We've fell in love through a kissing game."

"No, no, that can't be. Teal would have told me...she always promised...that..." She seemed at a loss for words. Of course, who wouldn't be? The woman just found out her daughter hadn't even said a word about her first kiss! Teresa trusted Teal, that was obvious. It must have shattered her heart to find out that she couldn't trust her.

"I'm sorry I had to be the one telling you this."

"Not your fault," she mumbled. _She's softened up, go for it. _

"Speaking of us falling in love, I'd like to emphasize how much we're in love. She means the world to me. I would die for her and I'd die without her. It's taken me only a short while to realize this..." The ring in his pocket felt like an anvil. Now. Now. Now or never. His whole forearm trembled as he took the wedding band of his pocket. Teresa noticed immediately.

"What is that?" she asked, blanching.

"A proposition. I am asking you if I can have your daughter, Teal Mynery's, hand in holy matrimony."

She couldn't say anything. And neither could the seven people who walked in a moment later.

All talking halted and Teal saw the ring in Remert's hand, showing it to her mother. Every piece of a large puzzle fell into place. He wanted to marry her. He was asking Teresa if he could. The wedding ring he was going to propose to her with.

And that was the last thing she saw before everything went black.

*

"Teal? Teal?" Teal awoke in her bed thirty minutes later with nine people, her sisters, Melissa, Sebastian, her mother and Remert standing over her. "Are you okay?" She was so dizzy she couldn't tell which of the faces were speaking.

"Hmm? What happened to me?"

"You fainted," Melissa said, squeezing Teal's hand. "I guess the shock of seeing Remert-"

"-Ask a question where the answer is no," Teresa interrupted. All eight of the teenagers glared at her.

"-holding a wedding ring put you into shock and you passed out. Sebastian and I picked you up when you fell. Rem helped a lot. He's been worried sick."

"I really don't want to talk about Prince I-Think-I'm-Going-To-Get-Married-At-Fourteen."

"His name is Remert," Sebastian growled. "And he's my friend. I know that he loves Teal, so why don't you close that ignorant impolite mouth of yours."

"Oh, why, do you want to get married at fourteen too? What a shock."

"I'm not getting married at fourteen, but I'll do this." He grabbed Melissa and kissed her fully on the mouth. They both fiercely latched their lips to each other. Then Sebastian broke apart and smiled smugly.

"Do whatever you wish, she's not marrying him."

"Who says I can't?" Teal asked angrily. "Remert, my answer is yes. I want to be your wife, the one to have your children and raise them, to be a queen and rule over this country. I love you more than anyone in this universe. I want to spend my life with you."

"Teal Ffoi. Nice ring to it," Rayna said.

"I don't recall asking any of you your opinions. I am Teal's mother, and damn it I'm going to show my authority as an adult!"

"Perhaps _you _don't recall, but Teal's last cycle was a week ago. She's as adult as you are."

"This doesn't matter! She doesn't love Remert anyway." They all stared at her.

"She says his name so loudly in her sleep I think she's awake," Alicia stated.

"Half of the time I can barely spend five minutes around her without her going on and on about him," Isulette added.

"I knew she loved him from the moment they kissed," Sebastian said.

"Teal is my best friend and I can tell her emotions you know," Melissa threw in.

"It doesn't take a three year old to see that she has devoted her life to him," Rayna interjected. There was a pause.

"I got hit in the head with a rock!" Elissa exclaimed. Everyone turned to her. "Well, that should count for something, right?"

"Can I talk to Teal in private?" Remert asked. Teresa looked aggravated, but nodded. He took her hand and led her outside.

"Sorry about fainting in front of you and all."

"That's not what I want to hear."

"Okay. I want to marry you, but if I do we'll be hated by more than one person. Teresa, Joseph, just to name a few."

"You think I care about what they say? That's not it either. I want to make a deal with you. I know that you probably aren't ready for this, and that's fine with me. But I want you to wear this ring as a promise that as soon as you choose, you'll marry me. I don't care if that's next year or twenty." He held her left hand up and slipped the ring on her fourth finger. "And there's one more thing. If it happens that we fall in love with someone else in the time period I want you to take this ring, go to Crystalmir Lake, and throw it as far as you can. I can't control if I or you fall in love with someone else. Does that sound nice?"

"You thought of everything." She had tears shining in her eyes.

"I did."

"Yes. I will be your wife."

"That's all I wanted." He kissed her.

"I love you Remert."

"I love you Bluie. And I mean it."

And that was how it was.

**WWWWWWWWHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHOOOOO! This is the ending of the first part of Courtly Love. The next part takes place when Remert and Teal are nineteen. Whoo to the hoo! I feel so special and sad at the same time. I don't want this story to end!**

**I don't think I need a funny quip to ask for reviews because I think finishing the first part of a story is enough of a reward. (Just kidding, I want reviews!!)**

**P.S. Excuse me for a moment, YAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAA! **


	13. Centelogue

_Time, it flies on by,_

_You know it baby_

_Time, it flies on by_

_You're on my mind, you're in my heart_

_You're on my mind, on my mind_

_-Time Flies, Theory Groove_

This next part of Courtly Love is set in the future. No, it is not set in Northern Whaye, but five years after the last part in this story. As most time in this period was uneventful, I feel I did not need to drone on about nothing. Some semi-important things have happened and others just need updates, so here they are.

Teal and Remert are nineteen now. Remert has kept his promise to marry her, at the time she sees is right. Teresa is still a tad bitter about the ordeal, but accepts it a tiny bit more each day. Marcy is ecstatic and can barely wait to have, "that darling Teal as a daughter-in-law." Teal's sisters, all but Elissa, just wish to move back to the modern ages. They do still wish to see the wedding though.

Remert has unofficially let Teal move in with him. She spends hours with him every day and only sleeps at Teresa's home. She still has her friends, and two new friends also. The first is a girl her age named Daisy. She has medium length copper hair and amber eyes. Daisy is a bit jittery and nervous, but is very spontaneous and is a loyal friend. Teal and Remert's other friend is Frank, Daisy's husband. He has dark hair and blue eyes. His personality is similar to Daisy's, but he isn't nervous or jittery in the least.

Of their friends, we all know and love Melissa and Sebastian. But something horrible has happened. Sebastian decided to leave behind his blemished past to become a priest. Something that would be kind and wonderful, only to create better bonds between their relationship, correct? Wrong, cruelly, horribly, sickeningly wrong.

The priests of medieval times were very fickle. They would say priests can marry for a while and then change their minds like the weather. Sebastian quickly realized this when he spent time with Melissa and was looked down upon. With tears in his eyes and his heart broken, he told Melissa that they couldn't be together anymore. She deserved a man that would be able to marry her and give her children he had said. They were both only fifteen.

Some time after, about a year, another man began admiring her from afar. His name was Blakemore Crosswell, the blacksmith apprentice. He tried nearly every way to talk to her, but his nerves got the best of him. Why would it matter anyway? Melissa would have turned him down with a smile on her face. He knew that. She wasn't one of those who rebounded right back after a nasty break-up. She would have smacked that stupid smirk off of his mouth.

Next in this update is Devon, Marcy, Thalleus and Caleb. Devon is still living in the castle, worried that if she left Caleb would finish off Marcy. Thalleus awaits his moment to find Remert alone and end his life so he can become crown prince. Caleb wishes to finally begin the battle he has so-long prepared for. The sooner an emperor, the better.

Teal's sisters have been coping. With difficulty, but coping. Medieval times didn't seem to suit them, all for Elissa. She had began going to the market late Sunday afternoon after meeting a pirate named Norman. Alicia wishes to be a doctor and just sees herbs as, "a way of dancing around _real _medicine." Isulette wishes to be back in the futuristic times that she barely remembers and Rayna wants to get a job in the government. "_You know, I am a prince, I could probably get you a good job in government," _Remert had said to her one day. But you could not be a lawyer there, or a doctor, or in futuristic times, so they were in misery.

Teresa is beginning to tell her daughters more and more about what a witch is, what they can do, questions they never got answered at a younger age. She worries about her husband, Byron, but knows that he will be coming home soon. Things are finally looking up for everyone.

But above all, Teal and Remert are still madly in love. They still adore every part of each other and their relationship has only strengthened and reinforced in five years. Trials have come, small squabbles every now and again, but it is still love. More importantly, a love nearly no one knows about.

So prepare yourself, reader, as we embark on the second installment of Courtly Love. Be vigilant as you read this story. Not all things are pleasant with romance and love at every moment. Let me give you fair warning, this story will have truth, lies, love, heartbreak, hope and peril.

But then again, that is what makes a book a book, right?

**Ya'll ready for this? Part II of Courtly Love! I coined a new word, Centelogue. The next chapter will have an appearance from an often mentioned character who we've never seen yet ;). My throat and stomach feel all flipsy lately. I hate winter! I always get sick :( Tune in soon for the next chapter!**

There once was a girl on "Fanfic" 

**Who wrote tales of princes, her pick**

**Comments on her writing,**

**Whether good or whether biting, **

**Are as important as a candle with a wick.**


	14. Honorable Discharge

_Well I'm going home,_

_Back to the place where I belong,_

_Where your love has always been enough for me._

_-Home, Daughtry_

"You miss him, don't you?" Remert asked, the summer's nightly breeze putting goosebumps on his and Teal's arms. She was spending the night with Remert, sleeping in the spare room in his three room house. "_No way things are getting out of hand," _she had said earlier. Teal had been spending about six nights a week at his house anyway. They had gotten on the subject of Byron after hearing the news that the war had ended and they were sending back the soldiers. He wrapped his arms around her while she looked up at the stars.

"I'm his daughter, why wouldn't I? I've barely known him my whole life. He left when I was six. He had decided by the time he was fifteen he was going to be in that war. I can't even remember if I was friends with him or not."

"Byron decided before you were born?" He overlooked her last statement, unsure of how to reply. He had known whether he was friends with his mother or his father early on. She never had known which parent she could trust, whether he was better or worse than her mother.

"Yes. Before I was conceived actually. It pained him to leave my four sisters and I. I don't know much about him, but I know that he cared about us more than anything or anyone."

"That's the way a parent should be." He put his left hand over hers and felt his promise band graze hers. He had began wearing one shortly after she did. They still introduced each other as friends to strangers, but as half-fiancées to anyone else.

"It's going to be a _long _time before we're parents."

"I know that. But your mother was already a parent at this age and so was mine. If any accident ever happens-"

"-Well, for one, no accidents will be happening. And I don't believe in calling them "accidents." Surprises, not accidents."

"Anyway, if a _surprise_," he said the last word in a sarcastic tone, "happens, we'd make decent parents."

"What makes you say that?"

Remert shrugged. "We're nice people, we don't just care about ourselves, we don't let anyone walk over us, we can get stern easily, parental basics."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't get any ideas. Let's go back inside, I'm getting tired." They both went inside and to their sleeping areas. Remert went to the door of Teal's room to see a note at his feet scrawled on a piece of parchment. _No surprises tonight, or any unmarried night for that matter, _the note said. Smiling, he opened the door, walked in and gave Teal a kiss. He went back to his room and went to sleep.

*

"So, how's Rem?"

"Um...Remert-ish?" Teal replied to Daisy. Melissa, Daisy and Teal were all sitting outside talking with each other. The three girls were very good friends, even at an adult age.

"We mean marriage wise," Melissa explained.

"Oh. I don't know, we're still deciding."

"One of the few glories about being betrothed." Daisy examined her nails. "I married Frank at eleven, right after my parents died, because apparently there's a rulebook somewhere that says if you have a lot of money then you have to marry early. Hell, his parents paid my parents to marry me, but I digress. I didn't have to worry about a wedding date or what I was wearing because it was chosen for me. The most I did was say, 'I do.'"

"At least you got off easy. Most betrothals involve people who hate each other." Melissa looked forward and her blue eyes froze. "Speaking of hate.." Teal and Daisy turned their heads to see Blakemore walking towards them, his eyes set on Melissa. She despised him to a new level of despising. It wasn't that he was bad looking, with dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a fit body from blacksmithing. Even though it had been four years since Sebastian had to leave her, she still wasn't ready to put all of her hopes on another boy.

"He's kind of nice you know," Daisy said. Finally, he walked up to Melissa.

"Were you talking to me?" he asked, confused.

"No _Blakemore,_" she spat his name, "I wasn't."

"Well then, please start." He smiled. "Just Blake. We wouldn't want an angel to be tongue-tied, now would we?" Teal and Daisy both bit their lips to keep from laughing. It was hilarious how much he tried to get her and the lines he used to try.

"I have an experiment to show you, do you mind?" he continued.

"Humor me."

"I'm going to need to see your hand." She held her hand up and Blake took hold of it. First, he drew a line across her hand. "This is a really big river, and on this side," he pointed to the left side of her hand, "is a cute little bunny. He really needs to get to the other side. How does he get to the other side?"

"He jumps over it?" she guessed, not putting any effort in her words.

"No! If he jumps over it he'll fall in the river. The bunny would go glubglubglub if he did!" Daisy and Teal were nearly in hysterics.

"Then how does he get across?"

He started to look really guilty. "Honestly, I don't know. I just wanted to hold your hand." They both lost it. Falling on the ground, clutching their sides, they got up a moment later.

"I-I'm sorry," Teal said, wiping her eyes. "That just struck me as funny. Please, continue."

"So Melissa, I'm not busy this Sunday, what do you say to going out together?"

"I prefer to keep my Sunday's clean. You know, not beating the snot out of some blonde who gets on my nerves."

"Don't worry. Nothing that you want to do or ever thought about doing matters. We're together, that's what matters."

"The day people in hell get ice water. Awful sure of yourself, aren't we?"

"Mark my words, we'll be together." He smiled one last time and walked away. Daisy and Teal's tongues were nearly bloody from trying not to laugh again.

*

"Don't peek!" Teresa exclaimed. She had told her five daughters to be at her house for a surprise later. Remert was there too, but he kept his eyes open.

"Will you bother to tell us what this is about?" Rayna asked.

"Believe me, you'll find out. Now, if you'll find your way into the living room..." They felt the outer wall of the house until they had made it inside. "On the count of three you can open your eyes." Remert, who had his eyes open, already saw what it was. A man, about his height and with the same shade of hair as Teal. He quickly realized who it was. Byron mouthed to him, "_Who are you?_" Before Remert could reply, he heard Teresa say, "Three!"

They screamed simultaneously. With tears in their eyes, they ran up to Byron and hugged and kissed him.

"Dad! Father!" Remert or Teresa couldn't tell who was saying what with a flurry of ten arms and five bodies.

"I love you too girls, but maybe you could make me less claustrophobic," he said with a laugh. They pulled apart from him.

"You got discharged?" Isulette inquired.

"Honorably. Your mother got the letter last week. But may I ask who this man here is?" Teal smiled and walked to Remert.

"My name's Remert, nice to meet you. Teal talks about you a lot."

"And what are you to her?" His eyes were staring at Teal's left hand.

"...How should I put it?"

"We're half-fiancées," Teal explained. "Promise rings. If we decide that it's too early, we won't marry."

"Which I'm _still _a bit sour about," Teresa put in.

"At least they're doing this in order Tessie." Byron looked at his wife. "We had five kids, then got married. I would much rather my daughters marry early and wait to have children, wouldn't you?"

She sighed. "True, but this is far too early."

"Opinions. Now, our age at marriage, a fact. Notice the difference?" Teresa just rolled her eyes and looked away.

"Do you mind if I talk to your boyfriend here for a moment?" Byron asked.

"Father, please don't scare him," she pleaded. "No, 'break her heart and I'll break your neck,'-"

"-Ooh, that's a new one."

"_Father!_"

"I'm not, I'm not. Step outside with me Remert." He followed Teal's father outside, right outside of the house with the door shut.

"So, you like Teal?"

"I love her, more than anyone in my life. That's why I proposed to her."

"Well, judging on how long you've been together, I'm guessing she's told you about what she is?"

"A witch, I've known for five years."

"I want you to know, Teresa doesn't understand what it's like from a man's point of view in this case. I fell in love with a witch too. I know exactly what it's like and how I felt. Teal's a lot like Teresa in some aspects."

"She seems more like you. I barely know you, but I'm just making a prediction."

Byron vaguely smiled. "My wife is much more different. Before we had children, she was carefree and happy-go-lucky like Teal. Motherly instincts, now, that's one experience I'll never know about." He paused for a moment. "Is she living with you?"

"Sort of. She spends most days and nights at my house. Teal has a lot of friends though and I do too."

"Don't develop too great bonds with friends. You lose quite a few after marriage. How soon are you going to be married by the way?"

"We're still deciding. I was thinking about twenty one or two."

"Sounds nice. Are you completely sure about that?"

"Indeed."

"Rem!" Teal walked outside. "Are you going to chatter out here all day?"

"Fine, let's go in." They all three walked in and talked to Teal's father, glad that he was back.

**I love this chapter, it makes me happy that Teal's father came back. But then again, I'm the author, so I decide :P. By the way, I don't have a problem with illegitimate children, I am one. I was looking at my traffic the other day, and when I saw 88 views in one day on Courtly Love I was hyperventilating. Would you like me to pass out and get a hundred in a day? Well, neither would I, but I would LOVE a hundred views in a day! **

**Re-view, re-view, it something you should do. (To the tone of Heigh-Ho)**


	15. Saved By Simon

_You lost yourself in your search to find something else to hide behind _

_The fearful always preyed upon your confidence _

_Did they see the consequence when they pushed you around?_

_-Simon, Lifehouse_

"Hello Marcy," Teal greeted as Marcy answered the door. "Remert isn't at his house, I'm guessing he's here?"

"He is. Though I'm not sure if he wants visitors. Rem's a bit occupied."

"Prince work?" she guessed.

"Oh no, much worse." Marcy smiled mischievously. "Today is the day when I'm normally drowned in work. Once a year, all of the taxpapers come in and making sure every peasant and noble has paid...it's a task equal to slow suicide. So I decided to take a nice day off and let Remert take care of everything."

"Poor thing! Probably stressed out of his mind."

"He's going to be king eventually, he better get used to it. If I have had to put up with it for twenty two years, it won't kill him to learn how to I feel. If you're going to be queen, why don't you go and help him?"

Teal paused. "Exactly how bad is it?"

"I'd rather go though childbirth, and neither Remert or Devon were a bed of roses."

"Well, I suppose if it's that important..."

"There you go. He's upstairs, you can go on ahead."

"Thanks, see you later Marcy!" As Teal went inside and up to Remert was, Marcy muttered, "I love my evil streak."

*

"What are you doing?"

"Hyperventilating," Remert answered when Teal walked in. "There's no way I'm going to get all of these papers sorted, the names listed, all of that, by today. My mother is a witch I think. She just casts a spell and all of these papers are done." He stopped and looked up at Teal. "Can you do that?"

"No, sorry. I can help though, seeing as I will be soon enough."

"Better than you standing there and gawking while I do all of the work." She walked over and sat by Remert in front of the desk in the back of the room. They took turns checking off names and filing pieces of parchment. Finally, two hours later, they finished with a sigh of relief.

"That went a lot faster with you."

"Well, like I said, I'm going to be helping you with this kind of stuff eventually, right?"

"How soon is eventually?"

Teal shrugged. "Whenever I guess." How could they be talking about something like this so casually? _Probably because you've been "engaged" for five years, _he thought. _You've basically been waiting on your heels for her to say, "I'm ready." _When _would _she be ready though?

"So, what do you want to do now?" she continued.

"Hmm..." Remert turned his head and noticed an old book sitting in a corner. "We can look at some old royalty family trees."

"Sure." They both walked over and sat in the corner, opening the book.

"_Devonia,_" Teal sniggered. She noticed Remert's name, Maerciette, Thalleus, a word written three times: miscarriage, Calebenthian, and two names she didn't know. Who were Simon and Alyce Ffoi? It showed them as Caleb's brother and sister, but why hadn't Remert ever spoken about them? "Who are they?" She pointed to the names.

"Oh. Aunt and uncle. Died young of 'natural causes.'"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean my father's a jealous bastard and poisoned them both. Hated them because they were better than him. What happened was, they were intelligent. My grandparents listened to their opinions on laws, actually made a few laws they suggested. Caleb hated that. It drove him mad that every time they would talk, their parents would listen. Of course they wouldn't listen to Caleb, all he wanted was war this, battle that, it wouldn't take an idiot to see he wanted complete power. But more than Alyce, he hated Simon.

"When Myrania and Coltheus would listen to Simon, Caleb lost it. He would hurt his younger brother like he does to my mother now. He would never leave bruises where they could see. Simon wasn't exactly the strongest kid around, so he couldn't ever do much back. He just tried to do the best he could and help Trenova, even paying the consequences of his pain.

"One day, a normal day, Caleb decided to be 'nice' and make his brother and sister each a cup of tea. They didn't know that he had put poison in it. The next morning they were found dead in their beds, everyone passing it off as an illness or witchcraft. Simon died trying to make Trenova a better place."

"Oh my..." Teal didn't know what to say. "What laws did he make?"

"Well, there's one I know of in particular. A law entirely of his own invention, aptly named Simon's Rule. My grandfather passed it. I have no clue what the law is about though. I wonder if it would be in a law book..." His voice trailed off. Remert stood up and went back to the desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a dusty book. He skimmed a few of the yellowed and thick pages, until his eyes widened. He looked as if he might pass out.

"T-Teal, I've never second guessed my reading skills since...well, I've learned to read. But I don't think I'm reading this right." She walked up and read from over his shoulder, "Simon's Rule," the heading of the page. "Read it out loud, I don't even know..."

"'Simon's Rule states that if any crown prince or princess of the realm Trenova marries a peasant, serf, noble or commoner, whether the marriage may reason royalty or not, they may remain unknown. No public appearances are required and papers are to be signed as either Trenova King or Trenova Queen. All children's identities will also be kept secret. The family must reside in the castle still. As created by King Coltheus Ffoi and conceived by Prince Simon Ffoi, this law is certified and ratified.'" Teal's lips trembled when she finished reading.

"Are you sure it means what I think it does?"

"Rem...it means that you can marry me with no one knowing. It means that our children can be princes and princesses and no one will know. It means that we can be king and queen in secret!" Her voice rose an octave. "Are you kidding? This is amazing!"

"I can't believe it!" Teal fiercely pressed her lips onto Remert's. Kissing her back, he wrapped his arms around her and held her closer. The door slammed open.

"Get a room!" Devon exclaimed. They broke apart.

"We had one until you walked in!"

"Whatever. Mother wants to know if you finished."

"We did. Now, go be productive to society."

"Yeah, I'll go do that. Go kiss at your house." Teal just looked at Remert and smiled.

"Fine, goodbye Dev." They went and told Marcy they had completed the papers, went home, and could barely stand still after the shock that perhaps they could remain secret.

Of course, unless they weren't killed before their coronation.

**Epicwinz! Do I have a different exclamation every chapter? I think so. Anyway, this chapter made it seem like everything is peachy keen, right? Not for much longer, until a huge fight might break them apart for good and the battle of Tre...whoops, I'm revealing far too much ;) Let's just say that Caleb is going to go further into Land Ebilness than anyone thought, Marcy too. I was saddened about the views on the story :( But I am happy people are reading it!**

**Serrie wanted some reviews, some reviews, some reviews. Serrie wanted some reviews and so she wrote a sooong. (To the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb.)**

**P.S. I was talking to my friend Kayla on the phone today about Courtly Love. This is the result. **

**(Talking about a paragraph I was writing while she was looking at old pictures.) S: So Caleb got ticked that his parents would listen to Simon and not him- K:- because he was crazy. S: Right, because he was mad and- K:- a wacky pack! S: What? K: Sorry, I was holding a wacky pack in this picture. I shouldn't have said anything while you were reading, should I? S: No, no, it fit.**

**Post Post Scriptum- Glad to beta your story Royalkiwi, it rocks! -hugs back-**


	16. She Wrote, He Wrote

_Dear Diary,  
I can't get him off my mind  
and it scares me 'cause I've never felt this way. _

_-Dear Diary, Britney Spears_

Dear Diary,

I haven't wrote here in ages. I guess it's because I've gotten older and thanks to Remert I don't need anywhere to jam my feelings anymore. Since I've moved from Southwestern Whaye, a lot of things changed, and not just the time changes. I only had three friends, including Ben, there. Of course, I had back-up friends, but they weren't as far up as anyone else. Now I have Rem, Mel, Seb, Daisy, Frank, my sisters, my father, Marcy, Devon, Glasia, too many to count. But lately I've been going through a lot that I can't just tell everyone and they'll have the answers. First, our marriage.

This is probably the biggest thing. As soon as I marry him, my name is going to be _Queen _Teal _Ffoi_. It just doesn't seem right! Not to mention how responsible I'm going to have to be. Though through Simon's Rule our identities will be kept secret, we still have to work. But I'm mostly insecure about what will happen after our marriage. Will we end up hating each other like everyone thinks couples do? Will we have children? Will we wish we remained lovers instead of husband and wife? I know Rem would say that none of these would happen if I inquired about it, but he can't tell the future.

Ever since I met Remert, I noticed something else: I barely ever use spells. Yeah, I still use them when I get lazy, but otherwise I tend not to. I think it's because I don't need to use them. Here we go, back to Southwestern Whaye. There I hated being different, but here my being a witch is embraced by Remert and I guess I don't have to act out. But there's a part of me deep down that says he thinks that I'm an almighty sorceress.

I keep wondering if he thinks I can do anything. I mean, I can do a lot, but witchcraft, not so much. Spells aren't exactly easy sometimes and while some are easy, the most they do is take you twelve decimeters away. Is he scared of me because of what happened the night I told him I was a witch? The memory of that night is burned into my mind, and as often as I try to erase it, it keeps coming back. The murdering spell only works every sixty years, twice a lifetime if you're lucky. I hope he knows my anger got the best of me and I didn't mean to do that.

Here I go, blabbing on and on about Remert. I have a tendency to do that. Melissa and I can do the most exciting thing ever, and I'll talk about Rem. It's not that I'm some infatuated little girl who loves some prince and all she can do is think about him, that's wrong. I love him, yes, but I have friends. If I spent every waking minute with him I'd go crazy. I don't want that to sound bad if we get married, but I just mean that everyone needs some personal time. But speaking of things that get me irritated, people tend to think I'm perfect.

That is my biggest irritant ever. Prince, shapeshifter, witch, "_You can have whatever friends you want!" _No, I can't. There's still quite a few people out there who I wouldn't mind taking to a nice sword. Then there's the, _"You're a spoiled brat who gets whatever they want because...etcetera." _ No. No. No. I wish that was true, because right now I'd be on a beach lying in the sun. This goes back to the friends comment. I can't get everything. But worst of all is just the plain, _"You're perfect!" _Wrong again. Boys may think I'm pretty, but I question my appearance a lot. I can't sing to save my life. I've got some of the most embarrassing habits that I don't talk about, for instance my tendency to chew on the ends of hair when I get nervous, but that's the least embarrassing.

The next thing I've been wanting to talk about is Melissa. I'm worried sick for her. I know she hates shapeshifting more than having teeth pulled, but she has to do it. There's no cure for that disease and if she dies it'll be on my conscience like hell. If she dies, Blake would kill himself. God, it's scary how much he loves her and wants her. I think if Melissa gave him a chance she might shapeshift into a tiger and eviscerate him. Hmm...that might get her to shapeshift...kidding. The few times she does shapeshift it's been different animals than her usual cat form. A fawn, then a deer. When I was looking at a book entitled, "Animal Personalities," at the castle, it said the deer is a symbol of love and mothering. Is Melissa perhaps ready...? Nah, couldn't be.

It always reminds me of my mother when I hear about teenage love. She told me the story when I was thirteen. "_We met at a hockey game," _she began. _"We were only sixteen at the time. About a month later, we made a big mistake. Not saying you were a mistake Teal darling, you were a surprise. What we did was the mistake. Anyway, about a month passed when I noticed I was pregnant. We kept it secret until my mother started realizing how funny I was acting and asked me to change my shirt in front of her. She noticed my baby bump immediately." _Then she spirled off onto some long talk about, "If a boy _really _loves you he'll wait," all of that.

Wow, looking at this whole page makes me realize that I _have_ been going through a lot. I hope I don't have to write here in the near future because I like being open about everything with Rem and Melissa and my friends. But I guess sometimes you just can't tell everyone everything.

Hoping things will be better,

Teal.

**

_I'm in love with a girl who knows me better,  
Fell for the woman just when I met her, _

_-I'm In Love With A Girl, Gavin Degraw_

Dear Journal,

I hate writing in this stupid thing. As a matter of fact, this is the first time I have ever written in it. Teal said that journals are good for releasing emotions and thoughts that you can't share with anyone else. I _could _share these thoughts, but no one would understand. The main problem is my mother and...I don't want to call him my father. I always call him Caleb because he's never been a father figure to me. But then again, I hate being disrespectful, even if he's worthless...

That's besides the point. He's been much worse to my mother lately. When I see her, her bruises are worse and less hidden than before and I can tell that she's getting worse. She puts up with so much for Trenova. Now that Devon and I are adults and can take care of ourselves, it's only for Trenova. Sometimes I wonder about how Caleb hid himself. For nearly five years he made it seem like he was a perfect man, never harming her or doing anything bad. After Devon was born and, well, after Mother found out Caleb had been sleeping with Allyson and had a year old son with him, I guess things went awry. It turns out that even before Devon was born she started taking hints he was abusive. Sometimes they would joke and he would playfully hit her, something everyone does, not intending harm. But sometimes he would hit a little harder than he should, and when she asked about it he just covered up with, "Whoops, I didn't mean to."

It took me a while to realize that he was bad to her. As a child, I suspected they were like every other mother and father. When I was eight, Mother explained to me about everything he had done. She ended the talk with, "But I don't want this to change how you think of him, but I'm just telling you these things so you'll know." As if she really expected it _not _to change anything. Then, when I was eleven, I got told the story about my uncle Simon and aunt Alyce. That really sent me over the edge with him. If he had murdered, cold blood murdered, someone without flinching, someone who he was related to, then he deserves to die.

Talking of people related to, I'm worrying about Devon. She lives in the castle with Mother still to make sure he won't do anything, but who's to say that Thalleus and Caleb won't get the both of them? She's eighteen years old and needs to find a man to settle down with before she gets too old. Teal talks about how, "if he loves her he wouldn't care," but she wasn't born in the medieval times so she doesn't know. She tries to makes sense of this world a lot but I don't think she's ever going to fully get how everything works.

Teal wants to be queen, and I think she's going to do a good job of it. I thank my lucky stars for my uncle Simon who made the rule that we could remain hidden after our coronation. But I wonder why he made that rule. Was it intended for him? Did he want Caleb murdered? I admit, I don't blame him after what all he did as a child. Perhaps he was making the rule for his brother and trying to make peace with him, hoping for the best of his sister-in-law and future nephews and nieces? Maybe he was thinking of Devon and I without even knowing.

My mother can't wait to be just normal again. She said, "My entire life I was either Crown Princess Maerciette or Queen Maerciette. I can't wait to be just Marcy for once." So, it's going to be King Remert and Queen Teal Ffoi. ...I can't believe I just wrote that. I know that we're engaged, but I'm a nervous wreck when it comes to that kind of thing. It reminds me of the day I proposed to her. I'll never forget when I told her mother, when Teal passed out, when she told me that she wanted to be my wife. People often say things to others that, "make their day." When Teal said that to me it made my life, a life ready to be the both of ours. Then when she said that she wanted to have my children and raise them, that made me the happiest that I'd ever been in my life.

But I wonder if she's ready. I know how often she tells me that she wants to grow up and marry me soon, but not right now. If not right now, then when? I don't know, this whole thing is confusing. How girls decide so early on that they want to be married drives me mad. Don't they think about what the man is going to feel? How nervous and unsure of himself when he asks her mother or father to marry their daughter? Betrothal might not be that bad now that I think about it. The only problem with that is being rushed into a decision, but at least we wouldn't have to do anything.

I think I've ranted enough. Teal is asleep in the room next to me, as far as I know. Being a witch controlled by the moon she stays up really late a lot. But seeing as I'm not a nocturnal sorceress, I need sleep which is where I'm going.

However you end a journal entry,

Remert

**Speckledorf! I needed an exclamation anyway. I got the idea for this chapter when I was reading the journal of a friend of mines. With her permission, honestly. They wrote journal entries on the same night and this gives a look about how they're feeling right now. Either next chapter or the chapter after that we begin...*ques music*....THE BATTLE OF TRENOVA! I'm not going to say anything else about it, but you're going to love love love it! **

**I is sad. I haven't gotten a review since chapter ten! So, this is just a simple request. R&R. Thank you and good day. (This message was sponsored by the League of Cake and Cookies, free samples for reviewers!) **


	17. Getting The Girl

_Cause she's bittersweet  
She knocks me off of my feet  
And I can't help myself  
I don't want anyone else _

_-Just The Girl, The Click Five_

"She's gorgeous, who _wouldn't _love her?" Blake asked. He, Frank and Remert were all standing out a few meters away from Melissa, Teal and Daisy, watching without their knowledge.

"Got me, she is pretty," Frank admitted in his thick Scottish accent. "Married, can't say much beyond that."

"Hey, I had the choice between the redhead and the one with black hair and I went with the redhead. Seb wanted the other and we all know where that ended up." Remert ran his fingers through his hair while he watched Teal and Melissa laugh at the same time.

"And her eyes. Such a beautiful ocean blue, and here I am lost at sea."

Remert turned to Blake. "You need a girl."

"Yes, her. I'm just a hopeless romantic, sitting here and wishing for her to notice me."

"I think I'll sell you to a minstrel group. I'd make a ton off of you, coming up with romantic poems every twelve seconds."

"So, what should I do? I must have tried everything and yet she still likes gaping wounds better than me. You're both in marital situations, what should I do?"

"Betrothed. So, beyond that, good luck." Frank laughed.

"Well, Teal kind of liked me at first sight. Just try to find out what she likes. Girls like flowers, stuff like that. If it smells nice or is classifiable as 'cute', you should win her over. Show her that you really care."

He groaned. "That's what I've been doing for the past year! I've said every line, every little thing that is supposed, 'to make girls melt,' and nothing is working! She's as stubborn as a mule and I just can't get my mind off of her!"

"That might be what she's trying to do. Girls play hard-to-get all of the time. Not that I'd know from experience, but according to Sebastian. He's dated Melissa too, so he should know. Maybe by acting like she hates you, she's trying to make you like her more."

"Nice lie," Frank whispered to him.

"Benefit of the doubt," he whispered back.

Blake stood up straighter. "You know, I think I'll go talk to her right now. She's standing right over there, what's keeping me?"

"No, no, don't!" they both said, trying to speak over each other. Then Frank said, "She's in a group, if there's ever a bad time to go after a girl it's when she's in a group. They're much more intimidating and they'll only make you more nervous."

Sighing, he gave up. When was Melissa ever going to give? He had been trying for exactly eleven months from that day, he had even counted. When Sebastian had left her, she was heartbroken. That was four years ago though! Shouldn't she have forgotten by then? Who knew, girls had a billion emotions, whereas he could have just one at a time. Forget what Remert and Frank said, he decided to talk to her no matter what. Walking forward, they both called out, "No! Stop!"

"Mind if a thorn sits amongst the roses for a minute?" he asked. Teal turned around and saw Remert standing afar.

"Not at all, but Daisy and I have some business to attend to." He saw Daisy and Teal run over to the two men. Teal seemed to be yelling vulgarities at Remert and lightly swatting him on the arm.

"What do _you _want?" Melissa asked.

"To talk to you in private." He turned around and saw that the two couples were gone. Blake looked back into her pools of blue.

"I don't care. I've put up with your act for a year and I'm SICK OF IT!" Tears poured down her cheeks. "I've had my heart broken once already and I don't want it again!"

"Melissa, I'm not like that."

"Not like that? Of course you aren't! You don't care about me like he did, nothing like that!"

"I didn't come here to talk about your previous flame!" His voice was as loud as hers now. "I'm here to talk about you and me! If you don't want this, you don't, I can't change that! But can you at least give me one legit reason and I'll never look at you again!"

She paused and swept her hair out of her face. She looked away in thought. "B-because."

"Because?" He edged closer to her. "I don't think 'because' is a reason! Is there something about me you don't like or not?"

"There's thousands of things I don't like about you!" Melissa stepped forward, even closer.

"Okay then, if there's thousands then it shouldn't be a problem to name one!"

"Um...you-your...hair. Yes, I absolutely hate your hair."

"My hair? Really?"

"Yes! You're...tall and blonde! I hate people who are tall and blonde!"

"You're such an idiot!"

"Me an idiot? Look in the mirror why don't you Crosswell!" From the same place they were, the two couples watched them bicker.

"They are so in love," Teal commented. "It doesn't take intelligence to see that. Honestly, do they think that they hate each other?"

"Got me," Daisy replied. "Ssh, I think it's about to get good."

Blake and Melissa were directly in front of one another. "Why are so spiteful?" he asked. "You are the most unpleasant, malicious, vindictive, hurtful woman I've ever met!"

"You're worse!"

"I hate you!"

"I hate you too!"

But they both very well knew that was a lie.

Melissa wrapped her arms around Blake and crushed her lips against his. He was taken aback momentarily, but then closed his eyes and started moving his lips in synchronization with hers. Of the six boys she had kissed in her life, Blake had the softest lips. And judging by his technique, he had kissed a few girls too. The intensity and passion of their kiss was only multiplied by the supposed "hatred" earlier. He tilted his head back slightly to deepen the kiss. Breaking apart and finding each other, breaking apart and finding...

Remert's mouth was literally agape. He looked at Frank, Daisy and Teal to see that they had the exact same facial expression: shock. How could people completely hating each other two seconds ago be latched at the mouth like their lives depended on it? Melissa _hated _him! Was that all just an act? Nothing made sense anymore.

She pulled her body back. They were both panting and staring, looking directly into their partners eyes. Melissa had nothing to say. She had just said, "I hate you," to Blake, and here she was. It had only taken her a moment to realize after she had said it that she really meant like. I _like _you. I know that we'll probably never be as close as Sebastian and I were, but I still want to be with you. That was what she had meant, but hadn't the words for until now.

"I don't want anymore stupid love lines Blake, I just want you. I want to be with you, something I've wanted for a while but never noticed. Can we do that?"

He kissed her on the forehead. "Yes. We can do it together."

"T-Teal, I'm going to go now," Remert said quickly and walked away. Trying to burn the mental image of Blake and Melissa out of his mind, he decided to go visit his mother for a bit. When he finally got to the door, Devon stood there out of breath and with a worried look on her face.

"Rem, I was about to go get you," she began. "Mother and Father are in the worst fight ever." He immediately understood how severe her words were: she never called Caleb, Father, unless it was bad.

Things were about to get bad.

**Next issss....DA BATTLE OF TRENOVA! Caleb v. Marcy! Wow, I need to stop. I think the next part is three or four parts. Not going to say anything else. *smacks self***

**The "tall and blonde" quote I can thank Scott for. (Scott: Why is she being like that? Me: Got me, just a bad day for her. Kayla: Nothing is wrong with me! Me: She hates you because you're tall and blonde! How dare you be tall and blonde!)**


	18. Soldiers

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes Marcy, I believe I can do what I wish!"

"On my grandmother's grave you _cannot _Caleb!"

"Again?" Remert asked, turning to Devon. They were standing near the door, outside of the room where their parents were fighting. "What are they talking about? I don't get any of this."

She closed her eyes. "Caleb said he's going to split Trenova into two realms. He says it is because he wants to take over Geriu. It doesn't make any sense though. What good would that do?"

Remert felt himself turn a shade paler. He knew exactly what Caleb was planning. "Each country has a tax limit. Two countries, higher taxes. Higher taxes, more peasants forced to be soldiers. More soldiers, bigger army. Bigger army..."

"Easier to take over," she finished for him. "Oh my. I never would have thought..."

"Never would have thought?" he asked bitterly. "Caleb always wanted to be an emperor. Mother will never allow it."

"Obviously. But who is to say that...you know what I am thinking Rem. I've been truly scared for my life in the castle the past few hours. What should we do?"

"I...I honestly don't know. We _can't _do anything. Well, murdering Caleb is an option..."

"Something logical."

Remert turned around and left. He came back less than a minute later with a dagger in his hand. "Really?"

"Remert Elijah Ffoi! Put that up now!" He walked to the room where he kept the dagger just in case muttering in a mock tone, "_Oh, everyone had double names when you were born..." _When he returned Marcy and Caleb were louder than ever.

"Geriu is my homeland! I was crown princess of Geriu! What happened to you? Where is the Caleb I saw at the masquerade?"

They heard him chuckle. "He was a fake. He just wanted to use you, and you fell for it."

"I TRUSTED YOU!" They heard the familiar sound of someone being hit, but it seemed unnatural. Didn't Caleb usually strike after he had spoken? "I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS WHO YOU WERE!"

"Then she must have been ignorant not to think that she should have stayed in her pitiful homeland anyway."

"I could've taken over Trenova any day."

"Ooh, you're quite amusing when you're so sure of yourself."

"What if I start an army of my own? What if I go against you and make you wish you had grabbed the wrong cup of tea that day?"

"You haven't the heart," Caleb said, almost daring.

"Are you willing to second guess that?" Marcy replied with venom.

"Fine. You make an army and I will. Our soldiers fight in six months. You win, Trenova stays one. I win, I become an emperor. The battle of Trenova has begun."

When they heard his footsteps approaching the door, the dove into the next room. When he walked away, Marcy walked out. Remert and Devon both walked up to her.

"We heard everything," Remert admitted. "What did he do now? I heard him hit you."

She smiled in victory. "Actually, it's different." She stood up a bit straighter.

"I hit back."

**

_Three Months Later..._

"You have to let us join!" Remert pleaded with his mother. "There isn't enough soldiers as is, and the ones we have are being pushed to their limits. Two more might make the difference between triumph and defeat!" He had been badgering his mother about become a soldier for the past few months. After all, it was his..._fathers _fault this was happening anyway. Shouldn't he have been able to do something as an attempt to make Ffoi's not so easy to hate? But then again, no one would know he was a Ffoi soon enough...

Then a thought hit him. He hadn't been spending half as much time with Teal as usual. Of course they spent most of the days together, but sometimes he would stay so late at the castle that he slept there. Teal usually liked at least a kiss goodnight before she could sleep. He felt horrible about leaving her alone in his house, neglecting her it seemed. She loved him more than herself, perhaps he needed to show her how much he cared.

"..twelve time this week Remert, no," he caught Marcy saying. "You are crown prince. If you die in the war, who's going to become king?" He knew it was a rhetorical question. Thalleus would become king, and then it would be Caleb all over again. But by being in the war, couldn't he help getting rid of Caleb? What would Thalleus do if Caleb was gone? "And as for Devon, you are a woman. Women cannot become priests, own land, but you think you can become a soldier? Madness, my dear, madness."

Devon scoffed. "I can strike with a sword as well as any man can. You don't understand."

"We share the same blood, I understand well enough. Personally, I have a few quarrels about women's rights as well as any girl does, but rights as a soldier certainly is not one of them."

"The 'women and children first' rule may be useful in a natural disaster, but otherwise it morphs into chivalry. I do not have any problems with a man helping a woman up if she trips, but what happens if it's anything bigger than that? It's showing off. Knights trying to save damsels in distress for fame and glory. The public loves them. Women are always put off as items to be won, not people. I want to prove my worth."

Marcy smiled. "You two are far too much alike." Remert heard a knock at the door, so he went and answered.

"Good afternoon dear," Teal said, leaning up and then kissing him. She felt how his lips were slightly pursed; he only did that whenever something was wrong. "I was lonely at your house last night."

"Yeah, um.." He looked away. He definitely was nervous or mad at something. She looked at him suspiciously. Teal knew that whenever she gave him that look, it was a way of saying, "_I know something's wrong and you better tell me what._"

"You know how often I've been petitioning with my mother to let me become a troop. We continue this every day almost."

"Rem, I've given you reasons why you shouldn't do this," Marcy said. "Thalleus as king, Teal alone, Sebastian and Frank and Melissa, your family. Do you have any idea of how _I _would cope with it? You're my only son, and I care about you. I think it's for the better if you watch from the sidelines. The royal community is meeting next week, you can come to that. You can still help the soldiers and Trenova by planning some of this."

"It's not going to help," Teal commented. "If you know Remert as well as I do, which I'm sure you do because you're his mother, you know that he doesn't take no for an answer. He's as obstinate as Devon and I. This is what he wants. Even if he did...you know, you would still be alive. You could still help. Devon is as strong as Remert, so why can't she become a combatant also?"

"Perhaps if Remert did become a soldier-"

"-That's a yes?" he asked eagerly.

"Not yet, I'm just saying. No one would know anything if he said his name was different. Now, Devon on the other hand, has a few things men don't have." Teal saw Devon blush.

"Funny, but it is not as arduous as you would think to change a woman's appearance. A bit of stuffed linen or cotton here and there, nice haircut, you can't tell the difference." Now Marcy was blushing wildly also.

"I..I...fine. You win. I give up. If you both really want to do this, fine, go ahead. It wouldn't matter if you were halfway dead you would be in that war." She sighed. "I can put your names in the roster today and the next battalion leaves in three weeks. Remert and Daemin Flannery. No one will be able to find out anything." She walked away, clearly needed some peace of mind.

"So, I guess we can start with the easiest." Teal disappeared for a moment, a transport spell, and returned with a long blade. "Ready to say goodbye to that purl of yours Devvie?"

She backed into the wall. "W-what do you mean?"

"Locks, tresses, getting it yet?"

"Cutting off all of my hair?" Her eyes widened. "M-my hair like a man's? Like Remert's?"

"Are you second guessing this? Because you know that you can't go into a war with hair to your waist."

"I-I'm not second guessing anything, but don't you think that we can save that for last? I mean, I can get measured for armor and have it made and then have my hair cut."

"Either you're going to sit down and have your hair cut by your darling sister Teal or I'll tell Marcy not to let you become a soldier. All your choice." Without a word, she sat down in a chair near Teal. Remert stood by Devon, holding her hand while his fiancée slowly cut off piece by piece of her hair. Devon kept her eyes closed and flinched every time she felt less weight on her head and her beloved tresses falling unneeded to the floor. Finally, when Teal finished, she lead her to a mirror.

"Open your eyes."

"I-oh my!" She ran her hand over her closely cut hair. It looked similar to Remert's. She had only seen her hair that short in nightmares, and now her nightmares were reality. "I _do _look like a man."

"That was the objective," Remert noted. "If this is done, what's next?"

"I just have to ask a friend of a friend for a favor," Teal said, smiling.

**

"No! Anyone but him!"

"Remert, it's just Blake. He's probably the best blacksmith in Trenova."

"I don't care if he's the best blacksmith in all of Whaye, after seeing him kiss Melissa a thousand times each day he's not exactly the highest person on my favorite list."

"Get over it," Devon said, walking into Blake's blacksmithing tent with her brother and Teal. "He's going to be helping us, so I don't care if he kissed your friend."

"Blake!" Teal called as she entered. She found him in the back of the tent working on a hand dagger. He put the hammer down for a moment on the anvil and turned around.

"Teal? What brings you here?" Blake asked. "And who's the...friend?"

"I'm a girl," Devon growled. "Are you questioning my feminity because I have a man's haircut?" Teal and Remert were both bursting in silent laughter.

"No, I wasn't-"

"Well good, smithy, because if I hear one word about my gender then you're going to have that dagger shoved up a very unpleasant place. Get it?"

"O-of course. What do you need though?"

"She's my sister," Remert explained. "She wants to be a soldier, though we have to keep it unknown. Do you think you can make armor for the both of us?"

"I have quite a few orders coming in right now, but I know you well enough to bump you up a few spots. I suppose I can measure your sister first..." His voice trailed off. "Or perhaps you can do it instead."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, um," he said and coughed, "you see, the measurements for armor are usually not bothering to a man. But in order to cover her bust line...I'm not measuring that." The last four words seemed to be one with how fast he spoke.

"You pervert!" Teal grabbed the long strip of fabric used for measuring. "I'll give you what she has in five minutes. Now, scurry along, the both of you. My goodness..." She sighed as the two men walked away. _Sickos, _Teal thought.

_**_

Devon emerged from behind the curtain, completely concealed in armor. When she spoke, she lowered her voice an octave, "So, how does it look?"

"I can't tell anything unlike you and a man, no offence intended," Blake said. "Very very well done by myself if I may say so."

Two weeks had passed since Devon had decided to become a mercenary. While she twisted and turned to make sure it fit well enough, Teal shifted uneasily. Remert couldn't understand what was bothering her. What was wrong? He had been spending all of his time with her, even making sure that every need of hers was fulfilled. He decided a nice week of pampering would be nice for her after all of this madness. But all she did was sigh and look away, a near envious look in her eyes. _Envious? _heasked himself. _Why on Whaye would she be envious? _

"Rem, can I talk to you?" Teal asked.

"Sure, I guess." She grabbed his hand and walked a few meters away.

"I want to tell you something."

"Go ahead."

Teal paused and brushed her hair back with her hands. "I want to be a soldier."

**Oh my goshness, Teal wants to be a soldier! I'm too tired to talk, so just keep on reading and I'll keep on writing!**

**P.S. Special thanks to Kayla Flannery, Sebastian Fangirl (or the Catholic one I should say...) and to Bailie, Blake fangirl. You loves my sexxay characters!**

**P.P.S. I'm giving up on the song quotes -_- I want this to be a real book!**


	19. Squabbles, Priests and Ancestors, oh my!

He stood, froze in shock at the astonishing and unforeseen six words Teal had just said. Her? A _soldier_? Was she telling a cruel joke, or was she serious? She gave him a look that told him she wanted an answer. There was absolutely no way this was real.

"You, you're not kidding, are you?" Remert asked hesitantly.

"No." Her reply was sharp. He decided he had better come up with a reply or else. "This war has one thing it's lacking Rem, magic. My spells are stronger than any knight in all of Whaye. So?"

His first instinct was to say no. She had already been through seven lifetimes worth of trouble, why put her through more? Teal was a witch, strike one. Engaged to a prince, strike two. But what was three? The war would be three. Three strikes and she'd be out. Surely all of that stress on top of what she had now would send her over the edge. And if that didn't then one of Caleb's soldiers sure would.

But then there was a nagging voice in the very back of his head telling him to say yes. _Yes? _he asked himself. _What the...? _Why would he want to say yes? Was it just because he hadn't been spending time with her, or something else? Then again, she could very easily be stubborn. She would protect the people she loved to her last breath. If he said yes, perhaps she would be happy.

"No," he decided. "Teal, I love you more than anyone ever has or will. You're not going to be stupid and enter this war."

"Stupid?" she asked, her face showing no emotion. "Did you just call me stupid?"

"No Teal, I-"

"STUPID?" Her eyes filled with tears, but none dared to hit her face. "Who do you think you are?"

"What I said was misconstrued, what I meant was-"

"Don't even try to cover up! Why can't I be in this war? I _can _do this!"

"Teal-"

"Fine, be that way!" Her voice was a screech now. "You don't care about me! You're just a vain and selfish prince and I'm done with you!"

"What is wrong with you?"

"You have ignored me, all because of this idiotic war!"

"Because my idiot of a father started it! And if this war is so idiotic, why do you want to join it? I care about your life whether you do or not!"

"Because I care about my life enough to give it up for Trenova!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" He attempted to calm his voice. "You're not doing this and that's final."

"WHATEVER! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, I DON'T CARE." She stormed off and out of sight. Remert furiously walked back to Blake and Devon.

"What was _that _about?" Blake said to Devon, barely loud enough for Remert to hear.

"She went insane, that's what!" he exclaimed.

"I believe he's asking why, my brother. I know Teal; she didn't burst into a screaming fit at you for no reason. Tell us why." He explained every detail of what happened.

"Oh." They both looked at him. "Why did you tell her she couldn't?"

"Excuse me?" Remert asked dryly.

"I'm your sister and you're letting me join! Why can't she? She's probably way more important than me in your book anyway."

"Blood is thicker than water."

"Then that must be pretty thick water. She means the world to you and you know that."

"Forget you, I'm going to talk to Sebastian, perhaps he can say something about this." He turned away and left. _He left in a huff, _Devon thought. _Teal's going to be in this war if it's the last thing I do. The first matter of business is to find her..._

**

Remert quietly stepped into the chapel. "Sebastian?" It was Wednesday afternoon, would he be available? Sebastian emerged from the back the normal tunic of a priest. It wasn't an unusual sight, but for some reason it seemed odd today. Everything about him, his near white blonde hair and his aquamarine and seafoam mixed eyes. It seemed far too unnatural.

"Are you occupied? Because if so I can wait-"

"No, please speak. What brings you here anyway? Church doesn't begin for five hours and you never come on Wednesdays."

"I need to talk to you personally."

"May I ask what about?"

"About Teal. You see, my sister and I are becoming soldiers, I told you that last Sunday. But today, Teal asked me a question. Devon tried her armor on that the blacksmith," he intentionally tried not to use Blake's name, "made and I noticed Teal being all glum and mopey. Then she took me aside and told me she wanted to be a soldier also." His friend's eyes grew larger but he stayed silent. "So I told her no, the only logical thing, because I love her and she means the world to me. There is no way I would let her risk her life over something like that."

"And yet you're letting complete strangers risk their lives?"

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me?"

He shrugged. "I'm supposed to, but there's no harm in telling a friend your honest opinion. So, you're like a sheep. You felt alone with no one of your wool colour, and no one would accept you. But you found a pack of sheep with all different wool colours and you finally all felt at home. Time passed though. One of the sheep went off to be a shepherd and the sheep who vied for him found another. You met more sheep, but they had mates. Left with just you and Teal there was bound to be a squabble sooner or later. Then she did the one thing to catch your attention. If I asked you to answer with a vow about you not paying attention to Teal, you'd say this war has created problems with seeing each other. It's like a child trying to her parent's attention. She's going to do anything to get you to notice her."

"All I can say is...that was an amazing simile. But how can a sheep be a shepherd?"

"That's not the point," he said and sighed. "Wisdom comes with the job. Do you think apologizing would work?"

"No. Unless the apology involves, 'Sure Teal, you can go and be in the battle...'"

"Being sarcastic isn't going to get you anywhere."

"And yet you can be as sarcastic as you want?"

Sebastian smiled. "That's the Remert I know. Everyone knows I'm sarcastic. The other priests don't like that much, but I tell them to get over it. How about you go off and do something? You're leaving in a few days, try thinking of something to show Teal you love her."

"Thanks for all of the help Seabass."

"It's been a long time since I've heard that one." Remert laughed and walked out of the church. Sebastian closed his eyes. His friend did have a point. If Teal was dead, Remert would follow soon behind. If their relationship slipped what would he do? Leaving Melissa was hard to do, and Sebastian had only known her for a year. An engaged couple who knew each other for five years? He'd surely be put in the asylum. Now both of their lives were on the line, and not just because of the war. What was going to happen next?

**

Teal sat under the shade of the oak tree. She was in a broad field with green grass everywhere, with a few dandelions and honeysuckle dotting the area. She didn't even bother to use a transport spell when she ran off. Sprinting with adrenaline, she made it about four kilometers out of the town. It was pretty outside, but Teal couldn't pay any attention to what was going on around her. Closing her eyes, she remembered everything. Their first kiss. The night she was drunk. When he proposed. The way he would hold her so close she could hear his heart beating, the heart she wanted to belong to her forever...

"Indeed, he is quite the man," Teal heard. She turned her head to see a woman with silky fawn hair and milky brown eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Thine great great great...ah, it would take far too long. Tillie, thine witch ancestor. I see every witches life, along with thy other witch ancestors. It has come to our dismay that thee and Remert have gotten in a spat. May I ask thine beliefs on this?"

"You know very well my beliefs if you have seen me and felt my emotions," she said bitterly.

Tillie did not show any feeling in her face, but showed in her voice. "True that may be. Moreover, we wonder why thee does this. Logical woman thee art, why doth this warfare interest thee?"

"I want to help Remert and Trenova. Devon had a point; women can do anything men can."

"Not exactly true dear. Warfare can be for women and men, but tis not unnatural for women to stay. Grow up with Remert, bear children. Live life to tis fullest. Thine love shalt reach a horrible and terrifying point in his life soon. He wilt wish to die, even though his victim was thy worst person ever. Defenseless, pat-" She stopped. "Devon is approaching. Another ancestor told her where thee art. Goodbye Teal Mynery."

"Wait! What's were you going to say?" But before Teal could continue her questions, Tillie was gone. Devon ran up to Teal, calling her name from afar. She had emerged from across a large field, barely able to breathe after the long run.

"What in the name of all things holy are you doing out here?"

"Evading your dull brother."

"Teal, you know you don't mean that. I came out here to talk some sense into you before my 'dull brother' takes an undull knife to himself. I don't care if you hate him for the rest of your life and shun him with a passion, all he needs is something from you so he can forgive himself. You know, he's going to be around a lot of swords in a bit."

"I think he's won the queen of drama title."

"Prince."

"Whatever. He's going off to be a soldier, he can do that. But when he comes back, he's just going to hate me."

"Hate's a strong word. Don't do this to yourself."

"Love's a strong word too. Are you just trying to get me to fall head over heels for him again?"

Devon looked away. Why was she trying to get into this? Teal knew that Remert meant a lot to her, but why was she allowing him to be like this? His sister had always been sarcastic and surly, what was changing her? _Perhaps she is thinking back, _a foreign voice in her head told her. It wasn't one of her own thoughts, but was Tillie speaking.

_What's there to think back? _she asked in thought.

_Thee w__ere__ not here when Remert was alone. He may have had Maerciette, Devonia, Sebastian, and minor friends, but there was __a worry__ for each. His mother, fear of death and his sister thy same. Sebastian was his only friend. He had not thee or Melissa, all thy friends of today. She is thinking if now is similar to then. _

"Are you thinking about what he used to be like?" she continued.

"Y-yes, I am actually," she replied, stuttering her words lightly because she couldn't believe Teal knew. "He was so miserable. He was a happy kid and all, but it reminds me of the times when he had no one. When Mother was being hurt, I was listening, Seb was out of town, he couldn't go visit his uncle, he wouldn't leave the house because my mother was being hurt... It was an endless circle. I don't want him back in that circle. Frank, Blakemore, Sebastian, Melissa, Daisy, he's got a bunch of friends but only one person who he loves." She paused to breathe. "If you really want to end this, completely forget the last five years, never marry him, I can't decide that for you. I'm just saying you need to think about people other than yourself when you pick, not just Remert either."

Teal looked in her general direction, hesitant and skeptical of what to say. Before the words could even begin to hit her tongue, Devon got a very odd look on her face. It was as if she had just discovered the cure for every disease and malady all at once.

"I've just...wow. We're leaving in three days. The next battalion after that leaves a week after. Why can't you use your whatever-it-is and look like a man? Melissa can shapeshift into one and you can put a whatchamajigger on Daisy. You'll all be soldiers and no one will know."

"But what if Remert sends me a letter or something?"

"Daisy and Melissa can be the soldiers that send them. It'll 'make a trip to Trenova' and you can read it and respond to it. Everyone wins."

"Marcy-"

"-will think three soldiers will be joining the battle. Thomas, Manes and Duke, who's to say they aren't soldiers also?"

"I love you Devon!" She jumped into her arms and hugged her tightly. To join, and to win, she would prove her worth to Remert forever.

**

Remert stood with his "sister" in the cluster of the soldiers in the center of town. The general, Alexander Linein, was making sure every one of them were there.

"Flannery, Remert and Daemin?"

"Aye," he said, raising his arm. He pointed to Devon.

"Ready to go, attention soldiers!" They all stood up straight and in line. Where was Teal? She had said goodbye yesterday, a bit more but nothing important. Would she be there now? No, she wouldn't. It didn't matter, he still loved her. He'd send letters to her as often as possible. Training would be hard, but he could do it.

For Trenova he could do it. He scratched out the last thought.

For Trenova and his family and friends he could do it. _I'm still thinking of you Teal, always thinking. _And as he marched out of the town, it was the last thing he thought.

**Nerdfighter! XD A cookie for those who get that. I apologize, I was listening to Deep Sea Anglerfish...anyway, I finished this chapter. Next we're going to be so close to battling you can taste it. Linein and Remert debate quite softly, to put it gingerly (instead of a huge whisper fight). And thank you Kayla for saying I should put about what instead of what about. You changed my entire story O.o And the sheep becoming a shepherd, you did get that one. **

**R&R, Serenity**


	20. Too Late Epiphanies

Remert stood in line with Devon as General Linein marched past each soldier. They had just finished today's training and it was dusk outside, some light glimmering from the moon blazed near the lake that was close to them. What would he want anyway? If there were any announcements it was normally in the early morning. There was not much time left until the battle began and they were training diligently. Devon was doing as well as, if not better in some cases, the other men in her section. Her hair had grown out slightly but it still gave her a male appearance. Linein walked to Remert, then stopped and faced him.

"Everyone can go back to the tents and sleep, everyone but Flannery here." Devon stayed with Remert while everybody turned around and left. "Just Remert, you can leave Daemin." Devon gave him an uneasy look and left. He turned around and saw three other soldiers giving him worried looks. _What's with them? _Remert thought._ I've never heard of Thomas, Manes, or Duke in my life. Why do they watch me like I'm a deity? _

"So, _Flannery,_" Linein said, accenting the last word with sarcasm, "I heard a bit about you today."

"That being?" No one here knew anything. He hadn't said a word about his past to anyone, and he knew Devon wouldn't rat him out.

"Don't play stupid. I know that you're a prince and I know that your father started it." Remert had to try his hardest not to interrupt. Caleb was under no circumstance his father, and how in Hades did he know?

"And you know this how?"

"Your mother came by here. She was talking about how worried she was for her son, basic motherly whining. When I asked who, she said she wouldn't tell me. I overheard her speaking to King Joseph, who was visiting with her." He smirked, and Remert was clenching his fists so hard the veins were showing. _I dare you to insult my mother, I _dare _you_.

"Whining? Say that again."

"You wouldn't dare to do anything." _Really? _Remert said to himself silently._ Try me_. "But listen up Princey Ffoi, and listen well. I don't care if you're going to be a ruler or not, you're still the same nothingness to me. You can try to be a big hero, get all of the fame and glory for 'destroying the horrible King Caleb,' but if anyone really thinks about it, they'll know it was you who helped this war start anyway."

Now Remert couldn't hold it in anymore. _He _started? What was he supposed to do, barge in and say, "I hate to interrupt, dearest parents, but there's no reason to start a battle over this!" Caleb would have laughed at him and Marcy would have told him to get out.

"How exactly did I help start this war? I made my mother stay with him? I apologize for being born, it's sincerely my fault. You might have to send a heated letter to whoever decided they would be my parents."

"You frivolous bastard." He could see the anger flashing in his eyes. "I sure hope you like nights, because from this night on, I expect you to walk from here to the capital of Geriu every night until the battle. I'll notify an official to make sure you do. If you don't check in with him every night, you're not going to see the next day. You can have two hours of sleep, and you better be the first ready for training every morning. Start walking. See you at dawn, kid." Remert was enraged. He knew this was how people behaved in the army, and he knew this wasn't much compared to other things. Torture, death, there was worse. He stepped off, away from Linein, and he reached the capital three hours later. This was going to get on his nerves quick.

**

"Dearest Teal,

"I know that I've mentioned too often about how sorry I am, but sometimes I don't think I realize how much I mean it. Training has been okay-"

"Okay?" Melissa interrupted. "I've got blisters on top of blisters, and the skin on my hands is rougher than tree bark!" It was a quiet starry night out while Melissa, Daisy and Teal were in the army tends, discussing Remert's most recent letter. The off-white blanket was draped over a tree branch, which gave them some privacy, but Teal cast a silencing spell on the tent to be sure. Luckily the limit was three to each tent, or else they couldn't go back to their womanly forms and voices at night.

"You know that he's only trying to make it seem like nothing's wrong with him," Daisy noted. "He still thinks you are living with Teresa."

"And Teresa thinks that you have been avoiding her like the plague for no reason." Teal had to admit, she had left her mother alone in a cloud of smoke. Just in case, she had left a letter on Remert's table explaining everything that was going on. If she would send one of her sisters over there to check on her, they would understand.

"May I continue?" she asked. The other two nodded and she continued from where she had left off in the letter. "Training has been okay, and Devon and I are coping well enough. Has Teresa fully forgiven you for...I'm not sure if we can still call ourselves fiancées. Perhaps living with her for a while might convince her that- even though you don't approve of the way she treats you- you still love her. Be sure to tell my mother that Devon and I are safe and okay. She would probably like a visit from you; she's been all alone lately and so have you, so maybe it would benefit you both. Always, Remert." She cringed when she finished real ding.

"I think the worst part is not being able to tell and ask them that. It kind of feels like I'm lying to him."

"You are, that's the point. We came to this war to get away Teal. I know there's still that one part of you that wants to keep him..."

Teal stopped listening. She knew there was still that soft-spoken voice in her heart telling her to stay with him. She would always drown the voice out by thinking of something else. She was in the fray now, and somewhat happy, what was there to be saddened about? Her eyes dropped to her promise ring. "_I want you to wear this ring as a promise that as soon as you choose, you'll marry me._" But he had also said that if things went wrong in that time frame she could cut it off. She had made a _promise _to him. It wasn't fair; if they got in a squabble Remert was quick to forgive and she wasn't. Teal could still be mad at him and he would walk behind her and brush her hair back behind her ears so he could kiss her in his same gentle way...

Why was this plaguing her mind so much? She was done with him! ...Wasn't she supposed to be done with him? He said she wouldn't be in the battle, acting like he was her father. _But you're here now, _she told herself. _You've seen Remert every day since you've got here. You've spoken to him. Not much, but you've spoken. Anyone here now wonders why he always has that vacant expression and why he won't talk to anyone but Dae- Devon. He's worrying about everyone in Trenova, literally the entire kingdom. Being angry at him doesn't help him or you get any further along in life, if anything it only sets you further back. Perhaps if you have a restart. Perhaps if you act like nothing happened, and start from the beginning again. Maybe if we go back five months we can pull this together again. _Teal muttered, "Vir," and went back to her manly form.

"...and I know well enough how it feels to-" Melissa cut herself off and turned to Daisy. "Did she pay attention to a single word that just came out of my mouth?"

She shrugged. "I'm presuming not. Why are you in your Thomas form again?"

"I need to talk to Remert."

"Oh no you don't. If you tell him, he's going to murder the first person in his vicinity. I refuse to clean up that much blood, because it will probably Daisy or you."

"And if it's you?"

"I'll just shift into something with huge teeth and bite the hell out of him." She fingered her scarlet pendant. When she shifted into a woman at night she took her Sabeos pendant out of her pocket and put it around her neck, but it hung low enough that if someone walked in she could shapeshift and her tunic would cover it.

"It doesn't matter," she said in her low-pitched voice that matched her burly figure. She ran her hand through her ruffled red hair that barely made it to her ears. Her hair was still to her waist when she changed forms, but Devon had her actual hair cut. Teal felt like she owed her a lot because of that; she'd definitely repay her later. "I have to go talk to him, not saying who I am, just talking." She stepped out before Melissa could utter a rebuttal. A few tents over, she found where Remert had went the night before and stepped in there.

"Daemin?" she asked. Devon was lying down in the tent, her eyes shut. She seemed somewhat worried about something, but was trying to sleep above all.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Devon quizzed boredly in her fake voice.

"Remert, your...brother, correct? I need to speak with him for a moment."

She sighed in a way that seemed so unwomanly it threw her off. She was getting quite used to the charade. "I know that you watch him like a hawk, you don't hide yourself." Part of Teal wanted to laugh, and the other part wanted to say, _I don't hide myself, eh_? "No difference anyway, he's not here. Can I get back to sleep?"

"It's nearly midnight, shouldn't he be here?"

"Ever since General Linein had to talk with him, he's been gone. I'm not going to be an idiot and talk to Linein because I value my life. If you wish to go ask him, feel free." If only she knew...

"Fine. Tell him I came by." Teal turned around and left, angry that when she finally got the courage, he wasn't there.

Devon rolled over and closed her eyes again. Whoever this Thomas person was, she certainly wasn't going to tell Remert that some freak had came and asked for him. She wondered what on Whaye he was doing that he was out this late. Perhaps he had done something to agitate Linein. She held her arms close to her flattened chest and drifted into a nightmare filled sleep.

**

Two weeks had passed. The whole army was marching, going to where Caleb's army was. This was it. Today was going to be the day when it was decided, when Remert might lose his life. It would never be in vain, it was for everyone and he would never forget that. Devon was in a whole different section; he wouldn't see her. His grip tightened on the hilt of the sword he was holding. _Foot soldier, _he thought. _Basically a nicer way of saying 'meat shield'_. Remert could barely walk straight his feet were shaking, and he was sure a good percentage of the other soldiers felt the same.

Even though he hadn't got but two hours of sleep the night before, due to another walk to Geriu, adrenaline compelled him forward. Finally they were called to a stop. Another army was standing right in front of them.

A shout came out and swords clanged. The war had begun.

**Ya know, after how long it took my brain to get this chapter out, I think the only exclamation I can muster is, holy-flipping-hades-this-book-is-ending-in-a-few-chapters! It seems like no time at all has passed. Wow. Quick note people, I am revisioning Courtly Love, so don't be shocked to see a whole bunch of changes in previous chapters. Adding detail, changing some things I don't like, etc. I can't ever get enough room to say all what has went on, but I can say that I love it when you tune in to this story and tell your friends :) **


	21. Interficio, Pugna, Just Stop It All

_Everyone in the army lied. They all said killing did nothing to you. _

Ice. Another fatal stab to one of Caleb's soldiers chilled the blood in his veins while he saw the blood pouring from hundreds of people around him. The soldier who he had just stabbed crumpled in a lifeless heap on the ground. This wasn't right. The unnamed soldier lying in front of him had a name, a family, a life. What if he had only joined the army in a lapse of mind? What if he had to join to help his wife and children? Now Remert would never know, he had just ended his life.

"_It gets easier as it goes." Oh, how they lied. _

Ice again. When the soldiers had charged towards to battle, the pale pink dawn light shone brightly. Only five minutes had passed since the, but It felt like days had gone by. Things were going far too quick. In one second there were twenty hits. A minute was a year. Then the time only went faster when he saw the pairs of glassy eyes staring from the dirt. So many, Remert wished to close his own eyes, but he knew that if he did he would have become another of the ragdolls lying carelessly about.

He stepped back, not looking behind him, and bumped into something colossal. He swung around to see a huge burly soldier who was holding a bloody two-handed axe menacingly. It was one of Caleb's, he could tell by the insignia on his armor: the curled C. Before they could exchange blows, a single word spoken made Remert freeze.

"Interficio!" The massive man fell dead. Thomas was standing right behind him; he could tell by his voice. Their gazes burned into each other. Thomas was never that slender, ever. Nor did he have..._hips_? This wasn't him, there was no way. He spoke, "Dimitto vicis," and there was a familiar popping noise. Leave and then time? It was a transport spell, and one involving time obviously. He knew it was a Mynery, but which one?

"I don't have a clue who you are, but you better get me back to the forsaken battlefield so I can help." Remert turned his head to see that everything had stopped. No one was moving, and neither was time. So that was what the spell had done.

"Remert." It was the voice of a woman now. That sure narrowed it down to the six female Mynery's. It for sure wasn't Teresa, but it could very easily be one of Teal's sisters. She took his armored hand in hers.

"Let me guess, Isulette? No, Alicia?"

"Close." She took off her helmet and her crimson hair cascaded down to her waist. A single tear rested in her forest green eyes, desiring to spill across her face but not risking the fall. Teal. She had came here and been here,disguised as Thomas. Only one syllable could gather to his lips.

"Why?" He felt a moisture accumulate in his eyes, something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

"I had to Remert. I had to make sure you were okay. Daisy and Melissa are here too." Teal gestured to the east where they were near one another, both in mid sword swinging. "I've put protective spells on all five of us, you, me, Devon, and them. Servo, contego, munio, defendo, everything I have." She paused and her eyes fell. "You know that was the first time I've ever used the murdering spell, right?"

"You didn't use it to kill me five years ago, so apparently." They both smiled. "Thanks for trying to help and all, but why? Why did you dare to risk your life? Why did you send me those letters saying that you were with Teresa and home safe?" He sighed. "So, I'm guessing you didn't tell my mother that Devon and I were okay?"

"I couldn't. I wanted to so much, to tell everyone that you were alive and okay, but I could only tell Daisy and Melissa. They already knew. I read those letters aloud every single night that I got them. You never failed to end your letters with always. What made you pick always?"

"There's quite a few reasons. I'd always be there, I'd always care. No matter what, I'd always love you."

Her head raised to stare directly in his eyes. "And I knew that even though you had said no, if I went you'd still love me. Even if I had to lie and cheat my way into the army, facading myself as a man, you would still love me." She took Remert's helmet off and kissed him. Her lips seemed foreign, but he could still maneuver themselves as they always did. They felt their tears caress, mix, and then fall unhindered to the grass. Remert pulled apart from her, clutching the hilt of his sword tighter than ever.

"We have to finish this. There's only one way. Both armies are dropping severely and quickly, and if this keeps going then neither one is going to win. We can't waste lives like they're a copper a dozen. There's only one way to finish this for good, to prevent it from ever happening again." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I have to kill Caleb."

Her mouth dropped. "Is he even here? How...Remert-"

"Remert nothing. He's been with his army this entire time. He's in the back, on top of the hill." He pointed to behind the both of them, a cliff that must have been a hundred strides tall. There was a figure on top of it, a speck from afar, but a person. Caleb.

"Transport me to the bottom of the cliff, I can walk it myself. No one else is up there. You need to go back to Daisy, Melissa, and Devon and fight with them. Make sure that all of you stay safe. If I can kill him, this war will be over."

"He's your father! Even if he's the most horrible and terrifying man ever, he's your father! You can't go through with this! What if you die Remert, what will happen then?"

He shrugged. "I'll die a noble death then."

"Quick being dramatic!" Teal snapped, but he could still hear the pleading in her voice. He kissed her one last time before he put his helmet back on.

"I love you Teal, more than anything or anyone that has ever existed or will. You've got to let me do this, please. Even if I die, you're still going to be surrounded by people who love you. Bluie, I swear that when this war is over, we're moving in together. I don't care what Teresa thinks anymore. It needs to be us now. We're going to move in together, and I'll get a job so we can stand on our own feet." Remert nodded, a signal to start the spell.

"Dimitto vicis." And the battle began again.

The four girls swung their swords frantically in an attempt to stay alive. Melissa and Daisy noticed Teal was there and instead of wondering how the dickens she got there, they continued fighting. Devon paid no attention and didn't even notice. Teal used all of her strength for battling, and the little extra to prevent from looking upwards and making sure he was okay.

Remert moved as fast as his feet would allow. He had to hug the wall and walk in a straight line to keep from falling off. Rocks jutted out from random points, but he continued to step up the sheer edge of Windemier Cliff. Then, when it seemed like the climb would never end, he reached the top.

Caleb was standing, watching the battle from overhead. There was quite a view. From where he was standing, he couldn't see his son: he was too absorbed in the bloodshed. Remert took his helmet off one last time and set it on the flat top of the hill lightly.

"Turn around," he hissed. Caleb turned around and smiled that same cruel smirk.

"Well, well, well, I never thought I'd see the day," Caleb said. He kicked a boulder backwards that had already been teetering on edge, still staring at Remert. The sound of it echoed to the fighting soldiers. Caleb's soldiers stopped and sprinted about twenty meters away. It must have been a signal for everyone to watch. Marcy's army watched the opposing attackers leave, but stayed and looked up at the cliff. He intended to have an audience.

"So, here I am, a defenseless man standing atop a cliff," he continued, the biting sarcasm still thick in his voice, "and my son who hates me is right in front of me with a sword. So, which way do you plan to kill me? Stab me or shove me off?" Remert looked down again. Everyone was staring with rapt, spellbound attention. Even if they couldn't hear, they wanted to see.

"Why are standing there listing your death options? I know you're an idiot, but more than necessary gets annoying."

Caleb laughed. "You're just like your mother, ig-"

"You know, if I were you, I'd be too busy saying my final prayers to insult people. By the way, this insulting game is only going to shave time off. Your moments are numbered."

"Well, if what you're saying is true, then I suppose we have a little time to talk about the past. Perhaps why I chose Maerciette that night? Ever wonder why I killed Simon and Alyce? And I'm sure you've been wanting to know who exactly he made that rule of his for?" Remert remained silent. These were the questions that kept him awake at night, but how did he know that?

"Think about it, if you kill me, you'll never know. Although since I'm sure that won't change your mind, I suppose I can tell you anyway. Your stupid mother was the weakest princess there. Alyce and Simon were useless and would have got Trenova nowhere. Finally, when Simon made that rule, he told my father it was, 'for all of those helpless royals who don't wish to have every detail of their lives announced for all of Whaye,'" He spoke Simon's words mocking. So the rule wasn't for any one person. It was for everyone. He was thinking of every prince and princess in Trenova, ever.

"Is there any reason why you're just trying to push me over the edge?" Remert asked through his gritted teeth.

"Because I know the truth." That smile. That horrible smile. His voice dropped to nearly a whisper. "You wouldn't dare kill me. You wouldn't harm anything. You are a coward."

"_Coward?" _He advanced closer to Caleb. "Do you know the real reason why you hurt your wife? Because you are the coward. You never even thought you'd amount to nothing, so you hurt your wife, my _mother_, to make yourself feel better. I've killed people I don't even know in this war. I'm not afraid to kill a sniveling coward."

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." The anger of the moment finally propelled him to do what he had intended. Wearing no armor, the blow killed him immediately; a stab to the heart. Remert cringed at the feeling of the blade in his hands tearing through flesh, how sickeningly solid it was. His father's eyes froze over and now the smirk would stay embedded in his face forever. The blood poured like a faucet from his chest on the ground that he fell upon. It was over.

Caleb's soldiers ran from the lake as fast as possible. They knew they lost, and so they were done. They'd return to Trenova with shame. Marcy's soldiers cheered and yelled. Cheering? If only they knew what he had done. It seemed like a happy moment to them, but it was excruciating for Remert.

"For Queen Marcy!" a shout went out. They cheered even louder. If only they knew.

Oh, if only they had felt what he had.

**

"Remert? Are you okay?" Devon said as she stepped into his room. Teal and Remert were lying on top of his bed, staring at the wall. Remert's left leg, right forearm, and other places were bandaged after being cut open during the battle. Teal had cuts on her arms and a long gash across her shoulder. She whimpered softly and murmured, "Desino poena, please." She was begging for the pain to stop.

"Leave me alone," he said flatly. Ever since he killed Caleb a week ago, though he had gotten home three days ago, his personality had changed. He didn't want to talk to or about anyone. Devon knew it wasn't just because of Caleb, but because of everyone else. Every life he had taken in vain. The same for Teal, lying there like a voodoo doll that had been pricked all over.

"I wanted to tell you about the most recent legislation Mother passed."

"Does it pertain to any recent events involving sharpened weapons?" Devon sighed. He was trying everything to dance around calling it The Battle of Trenova.

"Yes Remert, it does. If you won't listen I'll tell Teal."

She rolled over the face Devon. "Tell me what?"

"Well, lately, peasants and nobles all over Southeastern Whaye are hearing about this event that happened on Windemier Cliff. After such a feat, they don't think it should just be Windemier anymore." She shifted uneasily on her feet. "They've come up with Monarch Mount, because of the ruler that died there."

Remert covered his face with a pillow. "Did she?" he groaned, muffled.

"...Before I say, I want to add _everyone _was asking for this-"

"Just say she did," Teal interrupted, wrapping her arm around her fiancée.

"Yes," Devon mumbled and Remert groaned again.

"Why? Just why did she agree to that?"

"I told you Rem, everyone wanted it. Mother sent me over here to tell you she said sorry about changing the name, that she did everything she could to prevent it, and if it could have been avoided she would have in a heartbeat."

"Okay, are you leaving yet?"

"Actually, Mother wanted to talk with Teal. She also said she'd prefer if you went with her, but she knows you won't. Just make sure you don't hurt yourself, okay?" He didn't respond. Teal got up and walked to Devon, no expression showing in any of her features. She was as blank as a writer's fresh page. They made their way out the door, across the village, and to the castle. Marcy was waiting for them.

"Teal honey, I've missed you!" She ran up and hugged her, then kissed her on the cheek. "You've been gone since Remert left. How have you been?"

"M-Marcy, I think there's something you should know," Teal said, studdering.

"Yes? What is it?" She and Devon exchanged nervous glances.

"It's a long story. We have time though." Teal explained everything to Marcy, about how she left, Devon's idea to go anyway, the letters, Melissa and Daisy, even things Devon didn't know. She had to censor part of her stories, taking out the mentionings of witchcraft. She ended with her saying how she saw Remert and Caleb in their final battle. Marcy nodded when Teal had finished.

"You see, that's precisely why I called you here. I'm worried sick for Remert. He's not a violent person; he can't handle death. Worse yet, death he caused. I have no idea how many soldiers Caleb had, but judging by how many I lost it wasn't just a few. I think about all of the people he had to stop, even if every part of his body was screaming against it. Then finishing the battle." Marcy's eyes twitched. "I worry so much. While he's set me free, he's only imprisoned himself."

Teal wished to speak, but her tongue wouldn't form the words. There was not anything to say about Remert. It wasn't, 'I'm sorry,' or, 'I tried to help'. She had murdered people, she knew that. That was what kept her awake at night, nestled in Remert's arms. Guilt, remorse, worthlessness. She had always been an advocate for murderers getting what they deserved right back. Was she being a hypocrite?

"_Thine love shalt reach a horrible and terrifying point in his life soon. He wilt wish to die, even though his victim was thy worst person ever. Defenseless, pat-_" Teal understood it now. Patricide. That was what Tillie would have said. That only added to the guilt. She could have known. She could have told Remert beforehand. The hurt multiplied.

"We've decided to move in together." The words poured out of her mouth like a much needed rainstorm.

"Really? When?" At least it lightened the mood a little.

"As soon as possible really.I'm not exactly sure how my mother will react to it..."

"And you're not bothering to talk to her about it why?"

"Well, I suppose-"

"-Suppose what? That she'll say no? I'll talk to her about it if you wish."

"Oh no, no, really. I'm fine." She sighed. "I really want to move in with him. I love him more than anything and I know we need each other now more than ever. He promised me that he'd take a job and we could live on our own. Remert is a man of his word, especially about something like this. But my mother and I can work it out at a later time, honestly."

Marcy shrugged. "It's your decision. Devon, what would you like to say about it?"

"That Teal needs to stop being a scaredy cat and talk to her mother."

"I suppose I could go and talk to her..."

"Wonderful!" Marcy exclaimed. "I'll go with you and you can surprise Remert when you get back. Well, I guess because I can override any of her decisions too." She smiled mischeviously. "Devon, are you staying behind?"

Devon nodded. "As much as I'd love to see it, I'm meeting up with someone."

"Who are you meeting up with?" Teal inquired curiously.

"Someone. None of your business. Bye Mother, good luck Teal."

Devon basically shoved them out of the castle. Teal led Marcy across town to her mother's house. They passed Remert's house on the way, and Teal just turned her head and didn't look that way. He was probably still lying there, thinking and praying. Praying that he would be forgiven and thinking that he didn't deserve it. She wanted to do whatever was possible to help him. She was so consumed in her thoughts it took her a moment to realize they had made it to her home.

"What a cute little house!" She snapped out of her thinking. Marcy continued doting on her house. "It's so adorable and quaint. I had always dreamed of owning a tiny abode like this, living on my own, but royalty dragged me elsewhere." Teal smiled and opened the door. Teresa was sitting on Byron's lap, reading the huge bible Remert learned to read with. None of their other daughters were in the room.

"Who is this?" Byron asked, looking at Marcy.

"I know who it is," his wife answered. She walked over to her and shook her hand. "Queen Maer-"

"Mares are female horses. Marcy will be perfectly fine. Teal's parents I presume?"

"Teresa and Byron. Remert's mother I presume?"

"That's what the midwife told me. As a matter of fact, that's why I'm here today. Remert made a recent request to your daughter, and Teal and I wanted to hear what you and Mister..."

"Mynery."

"Mr. Mynery had to say about it." Teal's hands were shaking. So far so good. She had to giggle at Marcy's midwife comment though.

"Go on then, what was it?" Byron asked.

"He asked me if I wanted to move in with him, Father," Teal mumbled, looking at the ground. "We're extremely in love and ready for this. It's not a decision either of us take lightly. We're sure that we're going to be together for as long as we live, and we're not too far from marrying. I want to try this, correction, accomplish this a few months before we finalize the engagement and start planning the wedding."

Byron's gaze moved to Teresa. "I told you she wouldn't leave."

"I know dear, I know," she responded.

"What does that mean Mother?"

Teresa tried to smile, but didn't achive anything. "We're all moving. Alicia is going to college in Southwestern Whaye, Rayna is going to live with Aunt Jessica, finish her modern schooling and live there, and Isulette is going to Northern Whaye with your father and I to finish her education and live there. We were going to ask you what you were doing today, but it seems like you've already decided without us."

"You-you mean I can? No screaming quarrels or loud debates, just a yes?"

"It seems we've got no other choice."

"That's why I'm here, to make sure you didn't," Marcy said and laughed.

"You're a nice person Marcy. My daughter's going to have a great mother-in-law."

"As will my son."

"Wait a moment," Teal interrupted. "I hate to ruin this moment, but what about Elissa?"

"Oh, Elissa. She's staying here and joining the pirates."

Teal held her breath to prevent from laughing. She ran up and hugged her mother and father.

"I'm going to miss you. I love you both."

"We love you too Teal, honey. We'll be leaving in a week, so you'll be able to say goodbye. You're going to get a very nasty spell coming your way if I don't get a wedding invitation, you hear me?" She ignored the fact that Marcy was there and she had just said spell. Teal didn't care though.

"Promise you'll get one of the first." She broke apart from her parents.

"Make me proud kid," Byron said, grinning.

"I know she will," Marcy assured. "I best be going. I hope to meet again. And as for you Teal, I expect a visit at least twice a week. Good bye." She walked out.

"I'm going too. I'll visit every day until you leave. Goodbye Mother, Goodbye Father." Teal left and Teresa grabbed Byron's hand.

"Our little girl grew up much too fast," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

**

Remert lie on his bed, waiting for Teal to get back. He sighed for what seemed like the billionth time. The physical pain was keeping him awake. He changed his bandages earlier and flinched at the sight of the wounds. The gaping gash on his left leg, right forearm, cuts on his neck, chest, and the torn cartilage on the top of his ear were turning pink, but he could tell he would be covered in scars. It wasn't a cosmetic reason why he was scared, but his children. What if he had kids in the future? They'd stare at him and ask too many questions. They would be scared of their own father.

The thought of the prospect of having children somewhat scared him. He would never be able to disipline his own kids. He couldn't ever lay a hand on them because he would flinch worse than they would. He'd be worried too much about turning like Caleb, so his wife would have to swat his children on their hands, any corporal punishment. Perhaps if things had been different in the past.

What if his mother had never met Caleb? What if she still had he and Devon, but was married to a completely different person? He might not be lying in that bed then, contemplating his caused deaths. He might not have been in Trenova and he might have been crown prince of Geriu. Marcy might not have thin scars hid on her arms and purplish spots everywhere. Perhaps if so, he could genuinely flinch when someone got hurt, and not try to fake it so it seemed like it wasn't often seen. He might not have met Teal.

Maybe things were they way they were for a reason.

His mind drifted from the subject of his scars to the reason why they were there. The emotional pain, the reason why he couldn't close his eyes. What he had done would leave a thick wound, one that wasn't external yet hurt worse than one. Teal, Melissa and Daisy had to see him like that. They had to see him as a literally cold-blooded murderer. Every stab made him freeze. Even thinking about the feeling of it gave him chills. He yanked the blanket further over him.

Negative thoughts had been pouring in his mind like a swollen waterfall. _You're not strong enough to cope with this. Teal's been here for three days, you'll never be good enough for her. None of your family cares enough to stop by, and they have a good reason. You were never concieved in love and the only thing you are is the worthless son of the most atrocious man ever. You'll stay at the bottom forever, you will never rise above this._

Teal walked in and lay down on the bed next to him. She sat up, so he did also, wrapping his arms around her and she nestled close to his chest.

"I've got good news and bad news," she said.

"Bad news first. Let's get it out of the way."

"My parents and sisters are moving, all to separate places."

"What? Teal, no! You can't move, you just can't-"

"-Let me finish. That's the bad news. The good news is..."

"...Well, what? Don't keep me waiting!" Teal laughed.

"Pluma cubile." She looked behind her, into the open doorway guest bedroom where she usually slept, and a feather bed appeared. "Didn't expect me to sleep on the floor, did you?"

Remert laughed too. "You're kidding me! She said yes?"

"Sure did. I think I'm going to be cleaning up this bachelor trash bin for a couple of days, but it won't bother you since you'll be working, correct?"

"Correct. I was thinking a scribe. I have a pretty decent, right?"

"You sure do." She kissed him on the nose. "I know things right now aren't going good. They'll get better, I promise you. There's going to be days when you're really not in the mood to talk to anyone and I'm sure I'll get those days too. Together we can do this."

"With Melissa, Sebastian, Daisy, Mother, Devon, Glasia..."

"Of course. They would probably skin us if we ignored them. But that's not what I mean. We're all in this together. Alone we're as weak as twigs, but together we're a tree."

"A tree. That's lovely."

"You know what I mean Remert!"

He smiled. "I know, I know."

**..Toast. **

**Five pages. Holy...I don't know what to say. Wow. A lot happened this chapter, which was difficult to write at times due to extreme character angst. The next part is three years after...oooh. Only two chapters and the epilogue left! I can't even believe I've done this, and I couldn't have done it without every one of you readers. I thank you so much and I hope you review soon :]**


	22. I Now Pronounce You King and Queen

"Bet you can't get me!" Teal called, racing through the tiny house. She ran into his room and hid under his bed while he ran in.

"Where are you?" Remert asked. They were just play fighting, something they did when they got bored. They would stage fake fights and then chase each other around the house. It was sunset out; Remert had gotten home a bit late because someone asked him to write a lengthy letter. His clothes were splotched with ink, as they usually were whenever he got home. He had been working diligently as a scribe for the past three years. Things had changed in the three years, but nothing they were unable to deal with.

Marcy had ruled much better with Caleb gone. Occasionally Remert and Teal needed days when they had to be separated, for emotional reasons, but they still could hug each other after and feel better. The citizens of Trenova didn't know the whole story about the war, but they knew enough. They knew how Caleb wanted Trenova to be split, and the reasons for that, just as they knew why Marcy wanted to keep it the same. People advocated for each, but in all, citizens seemed happier with things they way they were.

Devon fell in love with the last man anyone would ever expect her to fall in love with. After the war was over, she met up with Alexander Linein. He never knew that she was Daemin, and she would take that secret to her grave. Even though he was three years older than her, their love would never quit. When Devon turned twenty, they got married. Remert, as bitter as he was about it due to his hate of the previous general, still went to the wedding. Now, she was living in the Trenova, pregnant for the first time.

Speaking of weddings, one of importance has happened. Blake finally proposed to Melissa, and they got married only two months before the date of this chapter. Melissa quietly discussed with Teal about how she was nervous thinking about children. Teal tried to tell her that it wasn't necessary to have children right after marriage, but she knew how Melissa was. The sheer thought of her unborn child being a shapeshifter scared Melissa more than anything. There was no way to avoid how blood worked, and even though the child would have half of the shifter blood, it would still be just as strong as a full blood. She hadn't even thought of a way to tell Blake their children would be affected, so she avoided the subject entirely. But overall, they love each other also.

Daisy is quite happy as a bachelorette. She vowed never to marry, being fully content with being alone. She still spends time with Melissa and Teal, but Melissa had a husband and Teal a fiancée, so visiting times were never set in stone. It never bothered any of them though, as they were all getting used to their certain lifestyles they chose.

Remert bent down and saw her. "Get out of there you loon!"

She jumped up and kissed him. "Fine, you got me."

He leaned in and kissed her again, for longer this time, running his hands through her hair. Their session was interrupted by an agitated rapping on their door. They both playfully raced to answer the door, opening it at the same time. Sebastian eyed them oddly when he saw them breathless and laughing.

"I hate to interrupt what was probably a great time," he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "but you're wanted by Marcy."

"Why is that?" Teal asked, trying to unruffle Remert's brown hair.

"I have no idea. I was copying down a passage of some priest rulebook when she came and told me to tell you to be at the castle pronto. Why she couldn't just get you herself I don't know, but I'm a busy man."

"A busy man? Really?" His friend smiled. "You're a priest. Tell a few people a few things, try not to get murdered by the grouchy older ones."

"Same old Remert." Sebastian smiled back. "Well, I have to finish. Promise you'll visit?"

"Promise. See you." He took Teal's hand and walked out, as Sebastian went the opposite direction. When they finally got to the castle door, they were breathless with laughter for an unknown reason. Marcy tried to smile, but the effect wasn't great.

"Please, come in," she said, her voice hinting nervousness. They walked in and sat in the two chairs she had set out for them in the center of the main room. Marcy sat in the chair directly across from them.

"Remert, do you know what today is?"

"Your twenty fifth anniversary as queen. Turning silver, eh?"

"Indeed. First in, wow, quite a few generations. And it's not a bad thing, it really isn't. But thinking about this, me ruling for so long, makes me think about the next in line." Her gaze went to them. It was a guilty look, and at the same time nervous. There were too many emotions flashing across Marcy's face at once. "Before I say this, I want you to know that I've been thinking about this for a long time, since you were fourteen. Ever since the time when all of the royalty saw that you were ready to marry Teal." She paused.

"Yes?"

"I'm not going to live forever. If we wait until I die for you to rule, then you're going to be thrown in dark water with no one there. I'd prefer if you would have your coronation sooner than what you probably want."

"How much sooner is sooner?"

Marcy sighed. "Less than a year. You're already engaged, you can plan the wedding in about a month, and then the coronation about a week after. There's an old saying around here that if a princess or prince expects a honeymoon, wait a week. To make a long story short, you're not going anywhere. This is going to be the best route for you and Teal personally. You can get married, Teal only has to be crown princess for a week, you can use that week to decide what you're bringing with you to the castle, have your coronation, and I'll be here to help you whenever you need help."

"Where are you going to live?"

"I paid off a tiny apartment in the center of town when I was fifteen. I finally get to live my dream and live alone as not Crown Princess Maeciette, not Queen Maerciette, Marcy Reid. That's it. You have no idea how long I've waited to hear that."

"Let's do it." Teal smiled and kissed Remert on the cheek. "A month. Wow. We can notify my sisters and parents, Devon and Glasia, Blake and Melissa, Daisy and Sebastian-"

"-The royal community," Marcy interrupted. "It's required that they go to the coronation. The wedding you can have on your own. I'll be in the front row crying my eyes out."

"Marcy, why are you going to be crying? It's going to be fine, I swear it."

"It's more the fact that the cute little son I had is marrying the pretty little fourteen year old that it seems that he met yesterday. You saw me at Devvie's wedding, I was a wreck." She nearly had tears in her eyes from even remembering. "Okay, I'm done talking, you can go home." Remert grabbed Teal's hand and they walked to the door together, holding each other close. Just as the door opened, Marcy glanced at her hand and quickly added, "On second thought, Teal, why don't you go on without Remert? I need to tell him something." She looked at him questioningly, but then nodded and walked out. Remert curiously walked to his mother.

"I forgot to tell you," she said, not taking her eyes off of her left hand. She took her wedding ring off, looked at Remert and faintly smiled. "This ring goes further back than anyone knows. It's been in the Geriu bloodline for a very long time. You have half Geriu blood, so I think it should mean a lot to you too. I knew Devon wouldn't be married with it, she didn't even take the wedding pension. So, I only have one request." She stood up and put the ring in his palm. It was gold with a big silver diamond on the front. On the back, a tiny G was engraved in it, probably to represent Geriu.

"We planned to go modest on wedding rings-" Remert stopped talking when Marcy closed his hand around the ring.

"Use it for the right reason this time."

**

Teal's eyes snapped open. She yawned and stretched for a moment, scratching the back of her head. She pulled her hand back and saw her silver promise band. Her wedding was only a few hours away. Teal would never wake up as a Mynery again. She'd never spend another night with only five minutes of sleep as a Mynery. From every morning on she would be Mrs. Ffoi. It seemed odd, to have a name that people shunned. Marcy was never too fond of being a Ffoi, some Trenova citizens weren't great on people with the name Ffoi, even the name alone was strange.

It was even a miracle her last name was Mynery. She could have been a Cyclis, had her mother chose to use her maiden name as her daughter's name. Fourteen years had passed since her name had been chosen when she met Remert. The beautiful day in July, it seemed like only days ago. Melissa with her, when she saw the two boys walking towards them in the distance. If she had only known at the time how it would change her life...

The day after, the day she told him she was a witch, and the day he told he was a prince. Telling Teresa, the Caleb incident, going to church, teaching him to read, the seasonal meeting, when Melissa spied on him, the proposal.

When he had finally decided to marry her, telling her he was ready to be bonded for life. Teal wondered how different things would have been if Teresa said yes. Would he have asked for her hand in marriage, not for a promise? Perhaps. She needed to stop thinking about things that could have been, but things that were getting ready to happen.

She was going to be wedded in less than four hours, that was obvious. Her parents and sisters were all at an inn in the center of town. Melissa, Sebastian and Daisy were all anxiously waiting in the castle for them. Melissa and Daisy were going to "help" Teal get ready, along with Marcy, Glasia, Devon, Alicia, Isulette...she lost count. In other words, they were going to torture her for a while until they could finally decide that she was prettier than Aphrodite. Sebastian had insisted, stated, and basically everything but asked that he would be the priest for the wedding. It wouldn't have mattered, Teal and Remert would have agreed anyway.

Remert walked in and smiled. "Good morning Miss Mynery."

"Good morning." She noticed he was still in his night clothes. "When did you get up?"

"About an hour ago. I actually got some sleep. Not much, but six hours is better than-"

"Six hours?" Teal interrupted incredulously. "I'd count myself lucky if I got six minutes."

"Honey, you're a nocturnal witch. You get, what, twenty hours of sleep a week?"

Teal put the pillow over her head. "I want to get up...but I don't."

"I promise, it's not going to be bad. If you can deal with maybe an hour of getting prettied up, which should be quite difficult to top your natural beauty, we can be forever united in our love." It had been a year exactly since they finalized the proposal. Teal and Remert decided to wait until they were twenty three for the wedding, mostly because it took a long time to notify Teal's parents and sisters. July 10th, a gorgeous summer day, the day that they had first met and kissed. It was purely coincidence that they picked that date, it just seemed to fit into their schedules perfectly.

"Okay, fine." She swung her legs around and stood up. "Only because I love you. So, where do I go first?"

"Well, probably to the castle so they can get you ready. I'm probably going to be getting ready too, and then I'm heading to the church by myself to hang out with Seb for a bit. You'll be done in an hour or two, about eleven or twelve o'clock, then you'll go to the church and talk with all of the women who'll be doting over you for a while. Finally, at about one or two, we're married babe."

"Babe? That's a new one." He ran over and kissed her, knocking her back on the bed in a fit of giggles.

"Is there a problem?" Remert asked, kissing her again between laughing.

"No, there's...not!" Teal replied, trying to breathe.

He stood up and smiled. "Okay, let's go."

"Fine, let's."

**

"OW!" Teal yelled. Glasia accidentally pulled too hard on a piece of Teal's hair she was trying to put up. Melissa, Daisy, Glasia, Marcy, Alicia and Isulette were all helping put Teal together as they called it. Elissa said that, being a pirate, her advice would do no good. Teresa and Rayna wished to help, but the room was far too crowded anyway. Alicia was still studying to be a doctor, but wanted to help, and Isulette was studying fashion in Northern Whaye. Devon simply stated that she wanted it to be a surprise.

"Stay still and it wouldn't happen!" Alicia snapped.

"If I was any stiller, I'd be dead!"

"Something tells me that isn't too bad of an option..."

"Something tells _me _that my son wouldn't be happy wedded to a corpse," Marcy added.

Teal bit her tongue and tried not to cry out again. She could do her hair just fine by herself, but by anyone else she was tenderheaded. She hadn't seen herself in the mirror yet, but she knew she was pretty. It was a fairly simple white dress, with a bit poofier bottom and had a V cut. Her hair was curled and part of it fell down cascading, while the other part was held up. Teal couldn't find the right words to describe her hair or her dress, but she knew it was going to be wonderful.

About an hour later, they finished the torture. They all made their way to the church, and as Remert guessed, asked her a thousand questions.

"So, when did you meet him?" Reineard, Glasia's brother, asked.

"It's a long story. I had just moved here and when I was walking around one night-"

"-Teal, we need to talk," Teresa said, cutting her off.

"Can it wait until after the wedding Mother? It's not long now."

"No dear, it can't wait." She took her hand and lead her to an empty room. Byron was standing in there, nervously waiting.

"What is it?"

About that time, Remert heard Teal's voice coming from the closed room as he walked down the hallway. He stopped and put his ear to the door.

"We-"

"-Teresa." It was Byron interjecting.

"I've been thinking a lot lately. You and Remert have known each other for nine years, and I understand. But I'm your mother, so I tend to think about things more...thoroughly. I have ran through this with a fine toothed comb, honestly, and I want to be sure you know what you're doing."

Remert was furious. What the hell was Teresa doing? Was she trying to get Teal to end this at the last second? He wanted to burst through the door and punch her. This was Teal's wedding day, this was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life, and the last thing she needed was her own _mother _trying to tell her differently.

"Mother, I see where you are coming from, I really do. I know that you're worrying about me being a queen, but it's not anything to be bothered about. Marcy and Remert have taught me everything I need to know, I know my political views and I know that I want to help everyone, but most importantly I know that I love Remert more than anything. If anything, you don't understand Mother. I hate to sound like a angsty teenager, but this is my personal business and you need to keep any opinions to yourself."

Remert knew that everyone was sitting down in the chapel, and that he was standing here pressing his ear to the door of an empty storage room and was supposed to be waiting for his to-be wife, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Teresa, you know she has a point," Byron added. "Remember all of the hate letters and random people walking up to us asking the both of us to put our baby up for adoption so she could have better parents than two unaware teenagers?"

"I fail to see any relevance in that."

"I do. We didn't ever listen to those people. We stayed together and we were okay. Teal is in the exact same situation. She's been told that she shouldn't do this, and she needs not to listen so they can stay together and be okay."

Teresa paused. "She needs to go." Remert darted to the front room as fast as possible. Everyone looked at him oddly as he did, especially his mother. As he reached the front, Sebastian asked, "Man, where have you been?"

"Long story. Teal's going to be out here in, about now."

He was right, and Teal walked out with her father, Teresa making her way to the front with an unseen transport spell. When Teal was standing in front of him and Byron was seated, Sebastian began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Remert and Teal in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Every pair of eyes in the church went straight to Teresa. She looked down with a grimace on her face. Sebastian continued, defining marriage and stating how much they loved one another, they exchanged rings and vows, and then it was ready for the closing.

"By the power vested in me by the realm of Trenova, I now pronounce you husband and wife." They looked into each other's eyes and smiled. "Go crazy." Remert glared at him while the guests sniggered. "Okay, you may kiss the bride, but keep it dignified." They leaned in to kiss, and about a second later Sebastian exclaimed, "That rhymed!" Everyone laughed even harder at the oddness. After a quick peck on the lips, he announced, "Here we are, Mr. and Mrs. Ffoi." With people clapping, Remert and Teal walked out.

"Crown Princess Teal Ffoi," Remert whispered in her ear. "Here we go. Seven days until we're going to be king and queen."

"We can do it," she whispered back, kissing him on the cheek. "Simon's Rule, our political knowledge, the only problem is going to be our children."

He groaned. "Not yet Teal, please, not yet."

**

A wedding made Remert and Teal nervous, but for a good reason. A coronation on the other hand, just made them outright worried sick. Here they were, ready to walk out and have Marcy recite the words she had recited to her, stating that they were sure of what they were doing and then they vowed to keep the country safe. Here they were, in the same church they had been in before, only with many more people. As Marcy had already warned them, the entire royal community was there. Remert could remember going to a few coronations as a child, but he had never really thought of the day when he would have his own.

Teal fingered the necklace she had received only a few minutes before. Her mother, father, sisters, and Daisy and Melissa had all pitched in and got her a gorgeous necklace as a wedding/coronation present. It was a delicate gold chain with four charms: a honeybee, a daisy, a crown, and a moon. Melissa had told her that Blake made it and it took him a while. She also added that whenever a charm needed to be added, just ask.

"What about the crowns?" Teal asked, her hands shaking.

"We have to put them on," Remert answered.

"And what about after this?"

"We throw them in the closet in the castle and say good riddance until we're watching our kid's crowning. You never wondered where my mother kept them?"

She let out a shaking laugh that was more of a breath than an expression of something being funny. Holding his wife's hand, Remert walked down the aisle of the wood floored church. There were quite a few pews, but most were empty in the back. Everyone wanted to see this. They stood together and the coronation began.

"We gather here to witness the crowning of a newly married couple, ready to take on the responsibility of leading the realm of Trenova. Do you solemnly swear to uphold the tradition that has been set out by rulers before you, to keep the name of this country held on high until the crown may be passed on to heirs to come?"

"I do," they chorused.

"The diadems of this country represent many things, but mostly they acknowledge the power you are about to come into. You must always be sure to be careful, and not careless around such things. There are nobles, and there are peasants, but in order to rule a country you must live in it also." After the crowns were atop their heads, Marcy finished.

"While a ceremony of such prestige may be short, it should still be known that this man and woman, now king and queen, are embarking on a new part of their lives. May their reign be strong and may they help many people in God's name. Congratulations King Remert and Queen Teal Ffoi. Good luck."

The clapping was more tumultous than their wedding. Teal had tears in her eyes she was surrepticiously wiping away. As king and queen of Trenova, a new chapter of their life began. A chapter they were going to write together, even when times got hard. When they had children, when their friends had children, they would keep on writing. Whether it would be laws or in journals of what their son or daughter had done that day, things would be okay. A prince and a witch had fallen in love, and by his unknown uncle's help, they could stay under an opaque shroud for as long as they wished. They could have normal children, they could leave normal lives, the only difference would be where they were going in the morning to work. Teal and Remert could close their eyes and imagine, their tiny red and brown haired babies, kings and queens to come. So, even as often as it seemed it wouldn't be things would be okay.

That was all they could ask for.

**Yup. That's all I got. Yup. The end of Courtly Love. Or at least, you think so...**


	23. Epilogue

"Mommy, look!" Isabella exclaimed as she came running to the kitchen. She was holding a piece of parchment in one hand and a ink-dripping quill in another. "I did it!"

"You did honey!" Teal agreed, looking at her daughter's scrawled name. "Remert, Melissa, she finally did it."

"Congratulations dear," Remert said, picking her up and twirling her around. Isabella was a daddies girl. She had his hair, his eyes; Melissa and Teal often joked that if Remert was a girl, he would look just like Isabella. They had Isabella when Teal was twenty five, and her newest arrival at twenty nine, the near one year old sitting on the floor next to Melissa's son. She and Blake only planned to have one child, Zynthir, their son with auburn hair and ocean blue eyes like his mother. His hair was a complete mystery though. How a blonde and a black haired couple had an auburn they never knew.

Telily, the near one year old, was six months younger than Zynthir. They played together all of the time, and Melissa came over for playdates when they weren't too busy. Her appearance matched Teal's. She, unlike Isabella, was a spitting image of her mother with crimson hair and fern green eyes.

"I swear, she's been begging me to teach her how to write since she was two."

"A minstrel or scribe as crown princess? We strive for difference in the realm of Trenova anyway." Remert laughed and put Isabella down. "Why don't you play with Telily and Zynthir?"

"They're boring." She crossed her arms. "All they ever do is talk to each other." Teal looked over to see, as Isabella stated, the two little ones talking. It wasn't much, as they hadn't mastered many words, but they used some sort of sign language to speak.

"How about you three go play in the living room while the grown-ups talk for a bit?" Isabella groaned and went over to her sister and Zynthir, grabbing their hands and pulling them up.

"Come _on, _Dad says we have to go." They followed her to the living room, looking at her oddly.

"So, what did you want to talk about Dad?" Teal asked. She loved referring to him as that. She couldn't have been prouder that he was the father of her children and that he had helped her through her pregnancies and after every step of the way.

"...What they are."

Melissa grimaced. "I'm not telling Blake until he's at least eight. I know Zynthir's a shapeshifter, but as far as I'm concerned, he's bleeding as scarlet as a normal human until he's old enough to understand."

"What about Telily and Isabella?"

"You know that I don't know Remert." That was all she could muster. "I...I don't know. Things could change. People could...change decisions."

"And crown princess wise?"

"I don't think that should be one huge talk about, 'Oh yes, you're going to be queen and here's how,' I think we should divide it up. We could tell Isabella she's going to be queen when she's three, but that wouldn't make much of an impact on her. We should explain to Isabella that she's crown princess and to Telily that she's princess, and what those terms mean, and if they have any questions to ask us whenever."

He nodded. That was how he had gone through being royal in his childhood. It seemed odd, to think about their adorable little daughters, growing up and marrying a man, then one of them becoming king and queen. Only if something happened to Isabella would Telily become queen, but in a case like Marcy's and Joseph's, it wasn't too difficult. As much as Teal didn't want to have one of her daughters become royal, she had to. Now Teal knew how Marcy must've felt, to see her little son and thinking about how he would be king someday.

It nearly sprung tears to her eyes, thinking about Marcy. When Remert and Teal were twenty four, Marcy became very ill. About two months before Teal had Isabella, she passed away. Devon, Alexander, Remert and Teal were with her. Her last words were, "You all have done a wonderful job, and I couldn't have asked for better. For being a teenager with almost no idea of what I was doing, I did pretty good."

"Ow!" Zynthir's annoyed yell cut their conversation. The three children ran in the kitchen, each trying to tell a different story at the same time.

"Stop it!" Melissa exclaimed, using her mother tone of voice. "Okay Zynthir, let's hear your side of the story."

"She shoved me into the wall!"

"No I didn't!" Isabella said angrily. "I tripped!"

"Telily darling, what happened?" Teal and Remert smiled. Teal remembered times herself when she would tell her mother something that her sister had done, and then she would ask one of her sisters that watched. It always got the truth out a lot quicker.

"Well," she began in her cute high pitched voice. "She was walking."

"And then what happened?" Telily put her hands out in front of her, like she was trying to stop something. "So Isabella was falling and she put her hands out?" She nodded.

"And did she accidentally run into Zynthir, and he got pushed into the wall?" Telily nodded again.

"Is that what actually happened?" Isabella and Zynthir looked away and then mumbled, "Yes." The adults bit their lips to keep from chuckling. Teal put Telily on her lap, as Melissa did the same with Zynthir, while Isabella sat in a chair attempting to scribble her name again. Her little different children.

Then something struck her, like a lightning bolt during a sunny day. Different. It would be the perfect word to say for the current status the room was in. A king, a queen who was a witch, two shapeshifters, a crown princess, and a princess. But somehow she couldn't bring the word to mind. Her family was at the heart of different. But different, for once, seemed to be in the perfect middle.

Different wasn't bad. Different wasn't good either. It was the center of both. It was simply things changed that weren't always there. A green leaf could be different to some people, while sand could be different to another. It was never good, and never bad. Perhaps her family was different. Perhaps her family was in the perfect middle. She would go through trials, she would have bad days, but then she could smile as she saw her daughters playing together.

Teresa often commented about how different her family was, and Teal could remember nights in Southwestern Whaye when she cried at night because she hated being different. She now realized how silly that was. Everyone was different to someone. Sometimes, like with Teal's xenophobia, people just seemed more different than they were. That was how Teal felt, like people saw her as more different than she was.

Looking at her wonderful husband, best friend, and the three beautiful children in front of her, it finally struck her. Different. Never bad, never good.

And Teal was glad, for the first time in her life, that she could be different and enjoy it.

**Dear readers of Courtly Love,**

**I thank you for every chapter of this story you've ever read. You've donated so much of your time and I thank you for every moment. I cried at the ending of this book, and I hope it's touched you as much as it's touched me in these past five months. This story is undergoing some severe revision in the first chapters and such, and the "sequel", Kingdom, will begin work soon. I suppose I need to explain myself. **

**You see, I wrote this story for a reason: for inspiration. The actual series of books, the New Epoch series with Kingdom being the first book, does not feature Courtly Love. This story is actually the tale of the parents of the new main characters to come. When I was struck with such severe writers block that I had to get my mind off of Kingdom, it went to Courtly Love. What happened to Teal and Remert in the past? What were they like? How did Melissa fall in love with Blake? A thousand questions that needed answers. So, Courtly Love was a side story that turned into a great novel. **

**The acknowledgements will be coming up soon. I promise to keep writing and keep you entertained. **

**Always, **

**Serenity Tolla Gapurn **

…**.Or at least a near anagram of my real name that is. **


	24. Important Note Not A Chapter

Dearest Readers,

This story is not a fanfiction. When I was young, well, five months younger I didn't realize I put this under the wrong basis. So, for reading this lovely story, go to /~serenitytollagapurn. For those of you who haven't read my novel, here is a longer introduction.

He's the prince. She's the new girl in town, the witch. He endures a harsh life of uncertainty, while she's trying to adapt from living in a modern land to a medieval land. They are both told by a boy named Sebastian to meet him at his house and it's there that they share a fumbling first kiss, and that's when it all starts. Crown Prince Remert Ffoi wonders whether to tell her that he's going to rule that realm someday, and Teal wonders whether to admit that she could possibly kill him with one of her spells. As if a prince, witch, shapeshifter, and one who's somewhat normal isn't hard enough to balance, when Teal's mother finds out things take a dip. As things go secret, their courtly love begins. Read on as they find friends, find enemies, fall in love, fall in hate, and discover secrets that may turn their world upside down. As a prequel to S. T. Gapurn's first book, _Kingdom_, you can start enjoying the land of Whaye in a whole different way.

So, there you go. See you at , and I only wish that I could have noticed earlier.

Always,

Serenity T. Gapurn


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